Janet is having a good day. She’s just been appointed as Health Minister, she has a brilliant academic husband, a secret lover who is texting her, and all her friends are coming for dinner to celebrate her success.

What unfolds is not the refined soiree she has in mind.Sally Potter’s film combines the old-fashioned charm of theatrical drawing room comedy with the biting wit of a modern social satire. Kristin Scott Thomas stars as Janet, the person responsible for assembling a motley crew of eccentrics in her home. There’s her caustic best friend April (Patricia Clarkson, wonderfully wicked) and her hippie guru boyfriend Gottfried (Bruno Ganz); lesbian couple Jinny and Martha (Emily Mortimer and a vicious Cherry Jones); slimy banker Tom (Cillian Murphy); and of course, Janet’s husband Bill (Timothy Spall).

The group’s contrasting world views and contentious histories are already simmering below the surface upon arrival, but when Bill makes a shocking announcement, it sets off a series of explosive revelations that just keep coming.

This group of elites may seem like stereotypes, but Potter’s understanding of human foibles means that they contradict their own principles as much as they criticise others’. The chronic insincerity may be read as an allegory for British politics, as topics like private healthcare, IVF treatment, queer politics, drug use and the financial crisis are discussed with lofty ideals – but acted upon with self-serving cynicism.

The absurdity of the characters is matched by the increasingly giddy plot, and eventual metaphysical musings about life and death.

Aleksei Rodionov’s black and white cinematography is as sharp as the uproarious script, and the brief runtime makes The Party feel like the ideal canape: perfectly formed, filled with flavour, and just waiting for you to sink your teeth in.

4/5
Out now.