The Party (1968) ***

The Party (1968) is a difficult picture to rate. On one hand, it's a really funny, experimental film (though it certainly borrows a lot from Jacques Tati) that showcases Peter Sellers' comedic genius. On the other hand—while perhaps not as egregious as Mickey Rooney in Blake Edwards' other, more well-known, classic Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961)—there is the elephant in the room of Sellers in brownface (and also a literal elephant in the room in the film, the poor thing). 

Though I don't think the racial stereotyping in The Party comes from a place of hate, it is such a central part of the film (now considered incredibly outdated and potentially offensive) that it's hard to ignore. But if you can look past that, there is a lot of Chaplin/Tatiesque fun to be had with the various sight gags, a typically groovy score by Henry Mancini (including the dreamy song "Nothing To Lose" sung beautifully by Claudine Longet), and lots of super sexy, super '60s production design and costumes.

You can find my Blake Edwards Films Ranked list here.