Actor Alan Cumming's solo directorial debut is a personification of the talented man himself -- a deliciously evil little black comedy that's by turns odd, exhilarating and relentlessly surprising.

The delectably-titled Suffering Man's Charity has been described as actor Alan Cumming's "passion project," a pitch-black farce that sets out to prove that hell hath no fury like, well, a strange little man scorned. Making his solo directorial debut, Cumming casts himself in the lead role of John Vandermark, a diva-like recluse worthy of such Bette Davis films as Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? and Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte. Cumming has always been a force of nature, but here, as Cumming the director indulges Cumming the actor, a new standard of camp screen acting is created. The man who scorns John is hunky Sebastian St. Germain (an outstanding and very game David Boreanaz), described by John as "a bankrupt man-whore with the I.Q. of a rag," and what John does to get his revenge on Sebastian is jaw-droppingly hilarious. Getting in on all the dark fun are Anne Heche, Carrie Fisher, Karen Black and the fabulous Jane Lynch, all of whom turn this odd film into an exhilarating party.