Review of Carnage (2014) by Leah J — 26 Sep 2012

As is the case with many cinematic adaptations of plays, execution of the material is paramount, and in this situation, the material is greatly served by four terrific performers who allow the marvelous dialogue to really sing.

Foster, Reilly, Winslet, and Waltz are tremendous fun to watch as they run the gamut from annoyed to harried to angry to borderline-hysterical, then back again. Roman Polanski's direction is very straightforward, but he implements just enough visual creativity to keep the proceedings from feeling too terribly stagebound (which, frankly, is kind of unavoidable).

I found the film very, very funny, though personal taste will clearly dictate just how humorous one will find the sometimes uncomfortable scenarios and conversations that take place. I'm not too sure the story illuminates anything about our society that hasn't been mined elsewhere, but it does get its points across in a literate fashion that - coupled with the humor - I thought was quite satisfying.