Film Review: Carnage

Director: Roman Polanski

After the Ghost Writer last year, Polanski is back with the darkly funny film Carnage which is based on the play 'God of Carnage' by Yasmina Reza who helped to co-write the screenplay for the movie with Polanski. The film is set in New York but was actually filmed in Paris due to Polanski's fugitive status in America, the whole feel of the apartment the entire film is set within and the views from outside very much give it the feel of downtown New York City.


The two couples debate the wording of what happened

The film is about a meeting between two very different sets of parents who are brought together after a fight between their children, they resolve to sort out the differences so that they can stop a repeat of this happening again. It slowly picks apart the politeness and sometimes fake nature of middle class couples who all want to be seen as intelligent and fair minded in front of others. The two children involved are only filmed a far at the very beginning and the very end but it gives you a fair idea of what is happening between the two. The view from what looks like Brooklyn over the water to Manhattan is a beautiful shot from between the trees.
John C. Reilly gives a good performance as Michael Longstreet who is married to Penelope (played with pure aggression at times by Jodie Foster) but the star turn is by Christopher Waltz who plays Alan Cowan. Alan Cowan is the egotistical attorney, who irritates everyone early on, including his wife Nancy (Kate Winslet who is every inch the investment banker she plays in this film). Some observations made by Alan during the conversations and arguments that ensue are incredibly witty and clever, it's a shame no Oscar or Golden Globe nominations came his way.

Michael Longstreet and Alan Cowan trying to dry Cowan's mobile phone

Without a doubt I have to recommend that you watch this film, it shows us a lot about human nature in the present day within two very normal couples. It also presents a mirror to us all who place such huge value on certain gadgets and possessions which we now live our lives through. But if you come out of the movie actually like any of the characters for what they believe in or stand for then I'd certainly like to know why.

3.5/4 claustrophobic yet darkly funny and clever.