Review of Carnage (2002) by Joel C — 03 Oct 2015
Most stageplays, when converted to the silver screen, lose their compelling power that made them great on stage, Carnage does not follow this trend. Originaly "Le Dieu du Carnage" (The God of Carnage) by Yasmina Reza, the story follows two couples, Mr.
and Mrs. Longstreet (Jodie Foster and John C. Riley) and Mr. and Mrs. Cowan (Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz), who are trying to work together on a situation created by thier sons. The son of the Cowans struck the son of the Longstreets in the face with a stick and the parents are trying to sort out what to do next.
The story was a stageplay and remains much like a stageplay in the film, but the power of stage was not lost in translation. We feel the tension between the characters and stay engrossed in the story throughout.
The biggest problem with play adaptations is that they feel like they drag, like they need to stay on stage, but Carnage does not feel so. Carnage is simply magnetic. We have perceptions of who the characters are, but as time goes by in the room, real human nature appers and the fisads of pleasentry are no more.
There is strong acting from all four of the main players, especially Winslet and Foster. Roman Polanski is genius as always and shows the unstableness of the situation with the camera and its movments.
Carnage shows the true carnage of human nature, and the obliteration of human reserve and it is truly fun to watch.
This review of Carnage (2002) was written by Joel C on 03 Oct 2015.
Carnage has generally received positive reviews.
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