Two schoolboys, Zachary and Ethan, are playing together at school when an argument starts, culminating in Zachary assaulting Ethan with a stick. After the boys get in trouble for fighting, Ethan's parents, Penelope and Michael Longstreet (Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly), invite Zachary's parents, Nancy and Alan Cowan (Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz) over to their house to try and establish why it happened and hopefully resolve their differences. But pretty soon, just why their sons got stuck into each other is abundantly clear. On top of their contrasting tastes and social statuses, both couples just don't see eye to eye on anything, with especially bad fireworks developing between Nancy and Penelope. But as the afternoon unfolds, all four will show how parents can still act very childishly, and none will avoid the carnage.
Besides the opening fight, Carnage takes place fully in the Longstreet house, so it's as self-contained as stories come. I don't normally find that really compelling, but with Roman Polanski (love or hate him personally) in the director's chair it very much it is. Despite its Brooklyn setting, Carnage was filmed in Paris due to Polanski's fugitive status in the U.S. but again as only one scene is set outdoors, he gets away with that. He co-wrote the screenplay with Yasmina Reza based on her play, and the result is a merciless and very funny comedy which could be taken as an antidote to many of those very conventional and PC family dramas like Terms of Endearment and countless such TV shows (good though many of those are). As a director he wisely remains neutral in exploring the couples' feud and doesn't judge any of their atrocious behaviours (he raped a teenage girl, after all). His direction ultimately proves that alongside Chinatown, Rosemary's Baby and The Pianist, he can also achieve something memorable with material far lighter in tone, if not content.
But surely the top reason to watch this one is the dynamite cast. Foster, who I consider the finest actress of our time, and Winslet both clearly had an absolute ball bringing their on-screen warring to life and their performances are more entertaining as their characters' contempt for each other grows more sincere, and Reilly keeps everything decently balanced as the foursome's would-be peacemaker. The weak link is Waltz; there's nothing wrong with his performance here, but quite frankly he could've played Alan in a coma. Collectively, though, they achieve the intention of making their characters' actions very familiar.
If you've ever had tensions with a fellow parent, or prefer your comedies with claws, this is the sort of Carnage you'll enjoy witnessing.
Besides the opening fight, Carnage takes place fully in the Longstreet house, so it's as self-contained as stories come. I don't normally find that really compelling, but with Roman Polanski (love or hate him personally) in the director's chair it very much it is. Despite its Brooklyn setting, Carnage was filmed in Paris due to Polanski's fugitive status in the U.S. but again as only one scene is set outdoors, he gets away with that. He co-wrote the screenplay with Yasmina Reza based on her play, and the result is a merciless and very funny comedy which could be taken as an antidote to many of those very conventional and PC family dramas like Terms of Endearment and countless such TV shows (good though many of those are). As a director he wisely remains neutral in exploring the couples' feud and doesn't judge any of their atrocious behaviours (he raped a teenage girl, after all). His direction ultimately proves that alongside Chinatown, Rosemary's Baby and The Pianist, he can also achieve something memorable with material far lighter in tone, if not content.
But surely the top reason to watch this one is the dynamite cast. Foster, who I consider the finest actress of our time, and Winslet both clearly had an absolute ball bringing their on-screen warring to life and their performances are more entertaining as their characters' contempt for each other grows more sincere, and Reilly keeps everything decently balanced as the foursome's would-be peacemaker. The weak link is Waltz; there's nothing wrong with his performance here, but quite frankly he could've played Alan in a coma. Collectively, though, they achieve the intention of making their characters' actions very familiar.
If you've ever had tensions with a fellow parent, or prefer your comedies with claws, this is the sort of Carnage you'll enjoy witnessing.
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