Carnage

Despite its short running time it won’t take you long to work out that Carnage is based on a play (that being God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza), as its one set, four character set up betrays its stage roots. Waiting in the wings here are Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly with Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz as upper middle class parents who have come together to discuss a fight between their respective children. What starts off as a polite (if false) conversation soon turns more scathing as the couples turn on each other. Though I haven’t seen the play, couples arguing is hardly an original concept and there’s little a director can do to spice up what is basically a one act production. The director here is one Roman Polanski (getting the gig I suspect due to it being shot in France), but even a third AD could have done the job such is the minimal camera work required. This is hardly a stretch for the cast either as they all play to their strengths; Foster (steely), Reilly (chilled), Winslet (charming), Waltz (smarmy). It sounds like it shouldn’t really work, but Reza’s screenplay (adopting her own work) does have an ace up its sleeve: It’s pretty damn funny. The original play is billed as a black comedy, but this film version leans more towards the satire side of things and though there are no real zingers in the script there is an undercurrent of knowing winks to the audience all the way through. Of the couples Winslet and Waltz have the juicier characters to play with, including some high moments of farce involving Winslet’s hilarious destruction of some flowers and Waltz’s cracking reaction to his precious mobile phone being dunked into a vase of water.

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict
Can’t escape its theatrical roots, but the screenplay has enough laughs and it’s short enough anyway (only 1 hour 15mins!) even if you’re not overly enamoured. Rating: 6/10.