I had a childhood friend whose parents would constantly argue. I would go over to his house and feel intensely awkward watching these altercations unfold. And that’s exactly what director Roman Polanski forces us to do: watch people fight. Even with the enjoyable dark, subversive humor, this movie made me uncomfortable. It’s an interesting movie to watch, but not a fun movie to enjoy.
Based on the play “God of Carnage,” Carnage tells the story of couples Alan and Nancy, and Michael and Penelope. Their sons brawled leaving Michael and Penelope’s boy with two missing teeth and some potentially serious nerve damage. As a show of good faith, Michael and Penelope invite Alan and Nancy over to determine a rational solution and restitution. Alan and Nancy defend their son while Michael and Penelope demand punishment for the harm he’s caused. Soon their friendly meeting turns into a full-out brannigan.
The film feels less like a film and more like a play. It takes place at one location and features only four on-screen characters. The shots are often extended, giving time for the actors to really have at each other. The film moves at a brisk pace, clocking in at only 75 minutes. Honestly, I was glad it wasn’t longer. I could only handle so much of the verbal fracas and towards the end of the film, it began to feel tedious. But this tedium was countered by four outstanding performances, a snappy script and some genuinely hilarious moments.
Christoph Waltz and Kate Winslet play Alan and Nancy, the uppercrust couple whose son did the attacking. John C. Reilly and Jodie Foster play Michael and Penelope, the parents of the attacked. Even in the short time the cool facades are erased, the dark inner characters slowly revealed. The dialogue is quick and the back-and-forth never feels overly scripted. The interactions are organic and watching the film gives you the feeling you’re a fly on the wall in these people’s lives.
But is it something you really want to see? I suppose it is a tribute to the filmmakers that the film does feel so awkward. This was obviously their intent: making everyone uncomfortable at the shenanigans taking place on the screen. But the result isn’t fun; it’s painful and shamelessly embarrassing.
There are some hilarious moments that lend much-needed comic relief. The humor was good but I wouldn’t have minded even more. Running gags about an abandoned hamster, fruit cobbler and an incessantly ringing cell phone were truly hysterical. Some of the funniest gags involve the chaos that ensues as the delicate Nancy becomes increasingly, and explosively, sick after sampling Penelope’s most prized recipe.
While there’s no sexual content or violence, the film earns its R rating with strong profanity. As the argument escalates, so does the language. Towards the end of the film, the obscenities fly in a constant barrage. The coarse verbiage fits the characters as their true, despicable natures are revealed.
Carnage is an interesting little art-house film. It makes the audience feel awkward by forcing them to watch an intense hour-long fight. By the end, it had become tedious and I’d had enough. It is somewhat redeemed by outstanding performances, snappy dialogue and genuine hilarity and great chemistry between the characters. It’s a well made film, I just didn’t particularly love it.
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