200 cigarettes

Set in Lower Manhattan, New Year’s Eve, 1981, “200 Cigarettes” is an ensemble comedy/drama about a disparate group of twenty-somethings looking for love, sex and somewhere to party. Monica has planned a party but as the night wears on and no-one arrives she drinks, stresses and stews over her life. Her cousin Val and friend Stephie, wander around the city in search of the party, hooking up with two neo-punks Tom and Dave. Kevin bemoans his fate having been dumped the night before by performance artist Ellie, and is comforted by a friend Lucy, to whom he is forming an attraction. The film follows the dozen or so intended guests as they make their way to the party via taxis, nightclubs and cafes. The film has an episodic structure, seeking to lay patterns of interconnectedness amidst a slew of characters. However no real depth of scale and social meaning is ever achieved. Instead the characters remain frivolous and shallow - but with a hip eighties soundtrack and a top cast, the film is an amusing diversion. Features: Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Janeane Garofalo, Paul Rudd, Courtney Love, Martha Plimpton, David Chappelle, Kate Hudson, Jay Mohr, Christina Ricci.