# Party Crashers, The (1999)

### reviewed by
Steve Rhodes

    THE PARTY CRASHERS
    A film review by Steve Rhodes
    Copyright 1999 Steve Rhodes
    RATING (0 TO ****):  ** 1/2

As the band plays on, the couples dance slowly and romantically to the music. In some corners of the room in THE PARTY CRASHERS, young lovers make small talk, and in others guys talk about everything from stocks to sports. It's your typically hip, LA party full of the rich, like investment bankers and heiresses, and almost famous, like the Olympic ice skater who fell down during her big meet.

Typical, that is, except for these three down-on-their-luck actors and writers with Uzis, who've crashed the party. The "bad" guys tell the not so frightened guests, that, if everyone keeps cool, they can continue to party until the father (John Saxon) of the richest girl (Shawnee Smith) at the party gets his rich estranged wife to come up with a 5 million-dollar ransom.

Phil Leirness, the writer and director of THE PARTY CRASHERS, plays a frustrated screenwriter who leads the gang of crooks. With his sarcastic brand of humor, he may remind you of a little less articulate Ben Affleck. At any rate, Phil is an easy guy to like, which helps smooth over the film's many rough edges.

A laid back movie, it works best when Phil the director, lets Phil the actor really cut loose. In one memorable but unprintable piece of dialog he uses an IRS reference that is hilarious. More typical of the film is the subtle humor as when one of the other criminals starts kissing one of the hostages. When Phil's character sees them, he caustically remarks, "At what point did this felony turn into 'The Love Boat?'"

The story has some subplots, but actually a few more complications and subplots would have provided some needed enrichment. One of the best subplots concerns the real-life Sid Hillman band, which is playing at the party. The record producers there have to be threatened at gunpoint to get them to listen. The director, who was at our screening, said that the real Sid Hillman has had trouble getting record producers interested.

The movie's big "twist" is so obvious that they might as well as have proclaimed it in the opening credits, but the delicious little twists within twists aren't obvious at all. And any movie that dares to come in at less than an hour and a half deserves a big thanks. Too many movies these days wear out their welcome. THE PARTY CRASHERS gives you a little entertainment and then the party is over before you know it.

THE PARTY CRASHERS runs 1:17. It is not rated but would be an R for some profanity, mild violence and a single drug usage scene and would be fine for teenagers.

Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com Web: www.InternetReviews.com

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