Supposedly inspired by true events, this unsettling Aussie drama has unstable ice-maiden Angela (Lara Cox) invite a group of student friends for a unique evening soiree, the climax of which she announces via e-mail. She plans to commit suicide by taking a fatal dose of heroin and take boyfriend Joel (Ben Seton) with her. Motivated by a believable mix of morbid curiosity and cash-strapped student hunger, sensitive Matt (Sam Lyndon) and boorish Freddy (Kai Harris) come for the free meal and find Joel is oddly sanguine about events while Angela’s friend Maddy (Jessica Turner) is understandably jittery. Tensions are further frayed with the arrival of Sky (Mariane Power), who harbours a romantic interest in Joel and finds uncomfortable parallels between Angela’s plan and events from her own past. Eventually, fear and jealousy push Angela over the edge.
The Dinner Party captures that awkward, claustrophobic feeling of being caught in the midst of someone else’s domestic drama and being forced to play voyeur. The film hinges on ethical dilemma: when faced with human tragedy unfolding before their eyes, should the characters intervene or walk away? It’s not as clear-cut an answer as you might think. For as Maddy points out, who is more responsible this mess? Someone in a fraught emotional state that compels them to do something crazy, or reasonable people like herself and Matt, who stand idly by. It’s this fear that keeps them from calling the police or paramedics.
It is nice to see an indie movie aim for subtle unease rather than crass shock tactics. Writer-director Scott Murden weaves some eerie visuals that coupled with the nerve-jangling soundtrack by Oonagh Sherrard sets the viewer on edge. The fragmented flashback structure (which has become something of an indie staple) saps some of the tension, while with a few exceptions the characters are rather cold. Murden’s low budget shows through in a couple of areas, but his script is smart and performances are solid all round. Especially the unsettling, intense turn from Lara Cox, former star of teen soap Heartbreak High. We never really learn why Angela wants to end her life and Joel’s, though there are hints she fears losing him. The intensity underlining their relationship is palpable and the death depicted here proves more disturbing than a dozen slasher murders. At just eighty-eight minutes, brevity works in its favour though some may feel the aftermath is rushed and somewhat slight.
