Directed by:
Roman PolańskiCinematography:
Pawel EdelmanComposer:
Alexandre DesplatCast:
Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, John C. Reilly, Elvis Polanski, Joseph Rezwin, Tanya Lopert, Julie AdamsVOD (3)
Plots(1)
Penelope and Michael Longstreet (Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly) and Nancy and Alan Cowan (Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz) - who meet for a discussion after their sons are involved in a violent incident in the school playground. Despite their honourable intentions, long-suppressed resentments and hostilities soon flare up both between and within the couples, leading to a rapid deterioration in civilities. (StudioCanal UK)
(more)Videos (13)
Reviews (12)
The theater play has made it to the big screen. It's nothing unusual, it has happened often in the past. For example, classic Universal horror movies were originally theater plays. "God of Carnage" is a new play that I had the chance to see on stage. I still remember it. Roman Polanski didn't do anything else but transfer the play to the screen. He managed with only four characters and created a drama that criticizes society, our dependence on communication technologies, and our inability to communicate. The performances are great, you can't find fault with them, but it is still mainly a theater play that doesn't bring anything new in its film adaptation. On the other hand, the performance is more magical in the theater, especially when half of the audience in České Budějovice was right on the stage. In the movie, it's just a repeated experience that doesn't stand out in any significant way, but it also doesn't disappoint. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/04/diar-milovnika-filmu-c-0004-hugo-buh.html
()
Good dialogues are a good foundation of a high-quality dialogue-based movie. The premise itself takes the lead role here – it’s incredibly original – and the actors are doing such a great job it seems they loved the premise as well. My personal favorite was Christopher Waltz and his incredibly arrogant lawyer. Nevertheless, I believe that different viewers will fall for different characters. This movie literally lives and dies with the actors and I believe that a stage play with good actors could yield the same result.
()
Polanski et al. have the misfortune that I saw Carnage at the theatre. There, it made me almost die in laughter, at the cinema, however, I smirked amusingly here and there (mostly over Christoph Waltz’s smirks) and laughed (reminiscing the theatre play). It’s a good film, no doubt, with good performances and direction, but I can’t avoid being disappointed, even though I’m rationally aware that comparing a theatre play with a film is stupid. Though in this case is not that stupid actually, because you can really see the theatrical origin of the film… Some lines are clearly not uttered by a normal film character, but very “theatrically” by a character in a play.
()
When I first heard that acclaimed director Roman Polanski was going to make a somewhat more intimate film with such bright stars as Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly, I couldn't believe my ears and said I just had to see this. And the wait has borne fruit! Carnage is in many ways a nearly perfect film that basically takes place in one apartment, where an initially innocent conversation between four adults turns into a wild quarrel between misbehaving children. The actors were all great - the extremely snarky Waltz, the hilariously drunk and laughing lady actresses, and the "mouse-loving" Reilly. All in all, a very nice and enjoyable film, perfect for brightening up the evening and improving the mood.
()
In life, we put on various masks and suppress our emotions and instincts in order to avoid confrontation with our surroundings and not jeopardize our interests and social status. Only in exceptional cases do we take off the masks and reveal our inner selves. In Carnage, this happened to four participants of a meeting that was supposed to serve as a reconciliation. However, vanity, anger, and alcohol led to the abandonment of the civilizational shell and exposed what we usually hide from our surroundings. Carnage is a black comedy about what happens to people when they lose control and become dangerously honest. It would probably be more suitable for theater stages, where it ultimately belongs, but Roman Polanski managed to gather four top actors in a small space, and thus the theater layout doesn't really matter. I had a great time, and as I think about it, it's actually a pity to originally give it 4 stars, so I'm adding a fifth one. Especially considering the two ladies who thoroughly enjoyed playing their hysterical and poser characters. Overall impression: 90%.
()
Ads