Carnage
4/5
One of the biggest challenges in adapting a play into a feature film is the setting.
At a theatre production you expect either a single set, or possibly a few set changes. But when watching a film you expect more. So the challenge for Roman Polanski’s latest film, Carnage, is making a single New York apartment – filmed in France due to Polanski’s ongoing US legal troubles – captivating for 80 minutes.
Carnage succeeds because of excellent performances. Featuring Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly, Kate Winslet, and Christoph Waltz, there’s no shortage of A-list talent here. It’s impossible to choose which one of the four has the best performance, because all of them are simply fantastic.
Waltz manages to make chatting obnoxiously on the phone while eating cobbler enthralling and Reilly proves once again that his acting range stretches far beyond the lowbrow comedies he usually makes.
I was a bit disappointed with what Winslet and Foster had to work with. The problem isn’t with their performances, it’s that their dialogue tends to be pretty cliché.
The plot centres around two couples that meet to resolve a dispute between their 11-year-old children. As you could guess, what ensues is anything but civilized discussion.
Carnage is a treat. Polanski is a world-class director, and that shows with every frame of Carnage. Everything is meticulous and top notchŃexcept the plot.
While as a study of human behaviour Carnage is fantastic, as a feature film it lacks emotional punch.
But that’s okay, because it’s funny – did I mention it’s a comedy?