Set against the backdrop of southern Spain’s opulent society, “The Party’s Over” offers a harsh and often uncomfortable portrayal of privilege, manipulation, and exploitation. This is an unpleasant story about unpleasant people, and writer / director Elena Manrique delves into the unsettling dynamic between a manipulative, wealthy divorcée and a young immigrant who is simply seeking a better life.
Carmina (Sonia Barba) spends most of her days holed up in her inherited mansion, throwing lavish parties by the pool and demanding far too much from her devoted housekeeper Lupe (Beatriz Arjona). Her life is upended when a young Senegalese immigrant named Bilal (Edith Martínez Val) seeks refuge in her backyard shed. Fascinated with this new companion, Carmina lies and schemes to keep Bilal trapped on her property. Noticing that the only way out is to work together, Lupe and Bilal join in solidarity to escape Carmina’s ruthless manipulation.
The film blends moments of dark humor with more sobering truths about class disparity. Manrique captures the superficial luxuries that consume Carmina, and she creates a character that is played with impressive authenticity by Barba. Carmina is a rich, self-absorbed person who feels painfully real, a wolf in sheep’s clothing that is waiting to strike. Barba’s performance captures each little nuance of her character’s seemingly kind yet calculated demeanor, from the apparent generosity Carmina shows to Bilal to the reveal that she is using the young immigrant’s vulnerability to her advantage. Everyone here is cast so well that you feel as though you’ve encountered them in real life.
The story is a little puny, though, and the pacing is one of the film’s greatest weaknesses. The first hour drags on, offering little in terms of narrative momentum or engaging dialogue. It’s a slow build that finally finds its footing as the complex relationship between the three starts to unravel, but there is an awful lot of draggy content before the film reaches its most interesting point.
While the film tackles important issues — the exploitation of immigrants, the emptiness of wealth, and the thin veneer of altruism in privileged circles — it does so in a way that feels repetitive and, at times, heavy-handed. The dialogue lacks the sharpness or depth that could have elevated these themes, and much of the film’s potential emotional impact is diluted as a result.
While it has some moments of intrigue and has something important to say about the ways people in positions of power exploit those in need, “The Party’s Over” lacks the finesse or momentum to make it as effective as it could be.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 