March 20: Carnage

"Two pairs of parents hold a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a fight, though as their time together progresses, increasingly childish behavior throws the evening into chaos."

  Carnage is a movie filmed entirely in one apartment and is completely reliant on the performances of its four cast members. It's claustrophobic and frustrating, because these characters, arguing for 80 minutes, can simply just walk out a door to avoid more fighting, but don't. Each "out" that's presented is teased, with coats being put on and hands on the door knob, but no one leaves. Each of their egos gets the best of them, and they have to continually one up the next person. All four characters are played exceptionally well by Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly, Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz. And, as Carnage continues, all four become very unlikable as their characters spiral down into a chaotic mess of vomit, tears, cologne, alcohol, and tulips.

Who knew tulips complimented scotch and barf so well?

   Of the four main cast members, John C. Reilly is definitely the most likable and provides the most laughs. He seems to be one of the most grounded of the four, and while his wife (Foster) proves to be an absolute b**ch, you end up rooting for Reilly in the end. Winslet is much more relaxed and crazy than most of her roles and it's refreshing to see her acting in a role that's not her just seemingly trying to win awards. Christoph Waltz is much better then how he's been lately (see The Three Musketeers), and his American accent is actually believable (note: he's crazy German). 

F**k that movie is good. 

   Overall, Carnage is very entertaining for what it is- four people arguing in a room for an hour and a half. The dialogue feels real, smart, and funny; and, although some of what unfolds seems over-the-top, the film works wonders. Carnage is adapted from a French play by Yasmina Reza and, while I am not familiar with the source material, I can only imagine its transfer to film is faithful and successful. I am a sucker for play adaptations (Closer, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Sleuth), and I understand dialogue driven films aren't for everyone, but I would highly recommend Carnage. 

The Good:

exceptional acting from four very high caliber actors

The Better:

a smart script that never loses your interest

The Best:

John C. Reilly... people forget he can actually act

Overall: 8.2/10

Best Quote:

1. Penelope : Did you know Ethan had a gang?
2. Michael : No, but I'm thrilled to hear it!

Trailer: