Carnage was a movie with an all-star cast, a notorious director, and well-loved source material, but somehow, amidst the dawn of the superhero era and the end of the Harry Potter franchise, it got lost, and never managed to resurface. Based on the play Le Dieu du carnage (God of Carnage), Carnage follows the increasingly immature and childlike disputes between two couples- investment broker Nancy Cowan (Kate Winslet) and her husband Alan Cowan (Christoph Waltz), and aspirant writer Penelope Longstreet (Jodie Foster) and her husband, salesman Michael Longstreet (John C. Reilly) as they try to settle the problems caused by an incident between their young sons. The conversation starts out amicable, but soon descends into a reverse lord-of-the-flies scenario, each quarrel more ridiculous than the next.
Love him or hate him, you've got to admire Roman Polanski's technical abilities with Carnage. The film was shot in real time, without breaks and, with the exception of the park scenes, in a single location. That's taxing for both the director and the actors, but the veterans involved here are up for the challenge, constantly one-upping each other in a childlike- yet very adult- struggle for power. Ultimately, Waltz wins out (when does he not?), with his weasel-like brutality and quick wit. Admittedly, the film drags its feet (even though it runs a mere 80 minutes), losing course in the third act, but it's less boring and more... uncomfortable. There are few cuts and one location, forcing the viewer to focus all of its attention on the scene, providing no out. There is no big action, either. That alone seems like enough to make some audience members uncomfortable, but that combined with the sometimes cringe-worthy actions of these adults amounts to a seriously distressing time. There is well-crafted comedy in the irony of the situation, but really, it's the actors that make the movie.
Love him or hate him, you've got to admire Roman Polanski's technical abilities with Carnage. The film was shot in real time, without breaks and, with the exception of the park scenes, in a single location. That's taxing for both the director and the actors, but the veterans involved here are up for the challenge, constantly one-upping each other in a childlike- yet very adult- struggle for power. Ultimately, Waltz wins out (when does he not?), with his weasel-like brutality and quick wit. Admittedly, the film drags its feet (even though it runs a mere 80 minutes), losing course in the third act, but it's less boring and more... uncomfortable. There are few cuts and one location, forcing the viewer to focus all of its attention on the scene, providing no out. There is no big action, either. That alone seems like enough to make some audience members uncomfortable, but that combined with the sometimes cringe-worthy actions of these adults amounts to a seriously distressing time. There is well-crafted comedy in the irony of the situation, but really, it's the actors that make the movie.