THE ANNIVERSARY (Valerie Buhagiar). 85 minutes. Opens Friday (December 4). See listings. Rating: NNN
Teresa (Deborah Hay) is throwing an anniversary party for herself and her husband, Sam (Ben Carlson). Thing is, Sam abandoned her and their son, Nicky (Stephen Joffe), exactly one year before under mystery circumstances.
Actually, there’s mystery in just about every element of this scenario. How did Teresa choose her guest list? Why does Carl (Colin Mochrie) come hours early? Why do all the guests imagine that Sam will suddenly turn up?
First-time feature writer/director Valerie Buhagiar lets key information seep out slowly in ways that constantly change our assumptions about the characters. Unlikeable people – especially Teresa’s racist mother – suddenly show humanity, and stoner Nicky, seemingly passive, has more going on than at first appears.
Not all of it works. It’s at times too elliptical, especially when Richard Clarkin’s neighbour keeps coming around for no apparent reason. And the pic, set almost entirely in Teresa’s house, has a stagey feel to it.
But Buhagiar gives it just the right off-kilter tone, playing with our perceptions of reality and fantasy, and she has a great touch with actors. Hay, spaced out and baffled in her deep grief, is terrific.