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It all begins with a fight between kids, and then, as they did in “God of Carnage,” Yasmina Reza’s play from which “Carnage” is adapted, the kids’s parents become the ones who truly act like children. Directed by Roman Polanski, who co-wrote the script with Reza, “Carnage” is all about stripping away societal decorum and unmasking the fiercely impolite ugliness that exists within everyone, regardless of class or politics.
The well-to-do Cowans, Nancy (Kate Winslet) and Alan (Christoph Waltz), don’t think much of the liberal Longstreets, Michael (John C. Reilly) and Penelope (Jodie Foster), whose Brooklyn apartment becomes the new playground when the Cowans stop by to discuss how their son knocked out the teeth of the Longstreets’ boy in a schoolyard spat. But all are soon on even turf as manners are chucked out the window.
“Carnage” isn’t quite as sharp a social commentary as it thinks it is, and it often prefers surface tension over murky undercurrent, but that hardly tarnishes the pleasure of seeing this hypocritical quartet descend into a frenzy of bad behavior. Pharmaceutical salesman Alan won’t stop discussing dangerous side effects on his BlackBerry; Nancy’s repressed elitism is literally making her sick; Michael is shedding his cuddly facade to reveal a misogynistic philistine; and Penelope is proving the flimsiness of her ideals as she crumbles in fits of girlish hysterics.
Ever an expert of filming drama in tight spaces, Polanski captures this focused degradation with a superb array of intriguing angles, drawing you into the domestic mousetrap these people can’t escape (the Cowans’ every attempt to leave is thwarted by another argument). The movie’s construction trumps the single perspective of seeing the work on stage, even if the original’s humor is dwindled by some unsuccessful casting (Winslet, Waltz and Reilly are tops, but Foster really fumbles the tone).
With today’s glut of witless comedy, you could certainly do far worse than this knife-sharp satire in the pursuit of dark laughs. It nimbly and concisely pulls you on a downward spiral, which is tellingly kicked off by an injury that exposes a nerve.
Carnage
R
Three reels out of four
Opens tomorrow at the Ritz Five
Recommended Rental
The Ides of March
R
Available Tuesday
George Clooney gets behind the camera and in front of it for “The Ides of March,” a tight, if somewhat forgettable, political thriller that sees the superstar play a presidential hopeful who locks horns with a savvy campaign expert (Ryan Gosling). The ace ensemble cast also includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, and Evan Rachel Wood, and what the film lacks in lasting power it most certainly makes up for in acting prowess. SPR
Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.
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