Carnage

Carnage

I have made a New Year’s resolution. I think I have been too quick to be harsh in reviewing films when I find the characters distasteful. Melancholia and Young Adult come to mind. I am going to try and separate the technique of the film from the characters. Carnage was a good place to start. What an appropriate name. I think Roman Polanski has done a fine job in this film. There are only 4 characters in the film and they are in front of you throughout the total film. (Arguing) The location is supposed to be New York but it was filmed in Paris. The location is irrelevant to the story.
Penelope ( Jodi Foster) and her husband Michael invite another couple to their apartment. Nancy (Kate Winslet) and Alan Cowan come to the apartment to discuss the fight between their sons. Apparently Zack Cowan hit Ethan with a stick. He lost several teeth and had nerve damage from the fight.
At first the two couples are so reasonable and accommodating. They listen to each other and congratulate themselves on being so mature in settling the problem created by their children.
Right from the beginning Alan Cowan has the most annoying habit. Perhaps some of the readers will relate to it. He constantly talks on the phone about business. He is a big lawyer working on pharmaceutical law suits and other major cases. He drives everyone crazy. Nancy becomes annoyed and embarrassed.
Things begin to go downhill until they explode in every direction. Nancy and Penelope argue. Alan and Michael argue. At times the men insult the women. It gets really ugly when the husbands and wives attack their own spouses..
The foursome remains in conversation and argument while they devour a cobbler and coffee. Later they begin to drink Michael’s good scotch. As they become a little inebriated insults fly at a faster pace with more energy.
The strange part of it all is that the audience laughs. We see the humor and the farce of this meeting. Their bickering keeps taking a different turn. At one point the two men agree with each other and attack the women’s arguments.
The cell phone gets thrown in a vase of flowers when it becomes just too much to bear. The flowers are thrown around the room. Nancy vomits all over Penelope’s fine art books.
There is indeed comedy. There is obviously also pathos. Michael’s mother keeps calling and interrupting the arguments. She has been put on the very drug that Alan is suing.
Timing is so important in this type of action. Good acting is also required. This film could give someone a giant headache if it was not well done. It is a fine piece of acting from this superb cast.
One of the foursome states,” Why does everything have to be so exhausting?” The audience will agree.
Alan states,” I believe in the God of carnage. He helped to create it all.
This film is on my list of excellent films with distasteful characters.