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Based on the acclaimed play ‘God of Carnage' by Yasmina Reza, and directed by legendary auteur Roman Polanski, Carnage pits power couple Nancy (Academy Award-winner Kate Winslet (Mildred Pierce, The Reader)) and Alan Cowan (Academy Award-winner Christoph Waltz (Water for Elephants, Inglourious Basterds)) against the liberal writer and campaigner Penelope Longstreet (Academy Award-winner Jodie Foster (Panic Room, The Silence of the Lambs)) and her wholesaler husband, Michael (John C. Reilly (We Need to Talk About Kevin, Magnolia)). Unpredictable and shocking, the film hilariously exposes the hypocrisy lurking behind their polite façade.
Following a playground scuffle between their 11-year old children, the parents of the "victim" have invited the parents of the "bully" to their apartment to sort it out. Cordial banter gradually develops a razor-sharp edge as all four of the well-heeled American parents reveal their laughable contradictions and grotesque prejudices. None of them will escape the ensuing carnage in this hilarious new comedy.
Product Description
Roman Polanski directs this comedy of manners adapted from the play by Yasmina Reza, who also co-writes the screenplay. A stripped-back four-hander, the film tells the satirical tale of two sets of well-heeled New York City parents - Penelope and Michael Longstreet (Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly) and Nancy and Alan Cowan (Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz) - who meet for a discussion after their sons are involved in a violent incident in the school playground. Despite their honourable intentions, long-suppressed resentments and hostilities soon flare up both between and within the couples, leading to a rapid deterioration in civilities.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By Moose Papoose
VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
This is a spiky satire on contemporary bourgeois correctness. Two couples meet in a New York apartment to agree a course of action following an incident involving their 11 year old sons.
The dialogue is agonisingly tense, the atmosphere claustrophobic and confrontational. Each of the our characters clash with the other protagonists. Rifts between couples emerge, and the men and women form allegences against the opposite sex. No-one supports anyone, and the 'meeting' descends into an alcohol-fuelled brawl - far worse than any playground children's dispute. The characters are each hideous in their own way. At first, they are composed and conceal their innermost thoughts and opinions, but as the film progresses every nasty, destructive judgmental comment spews forth,
The script is smart and the acting superb. I particularly liked the symbolism used throughout. Items, including a mobile phone, tulips, art books, trousers and a handbag are destroyed. The verbal punch-ups are interrupted throughout by mobile and phone conversations - everyone stops fighting and remains seething, waiting for the call to finish.
It was an uncomfortable hour, but an intriguing one and fascinating to the middle classes - like watching ourselves distort in a hall of mirrors into the grotesque characters that lurk behind the veneer in most of us. Scary.
The dialogue is agonisingly tense, the atmosphere claustrophobic and confrontational. Each of the our characters clash with the other protagonists. Rifts between couples emerge, and the men and women form allegences against the opposite sex. No-one supports anyone, and the 'meeting' descends into an alcohol-fuelled brawl - far worse than any playground children's dispute. The characters are each hideous in their own way. At first, they are composed and conceal their innermost thoughts and opinions, but as the film progresses every nasty, destructive judgmental comment spews forth,
The script is smart and the acting superb. I particularly liked the symbolism used throughout. Items, including a mobile phone, tulips, art books, trousers and a handbag are destroyed. The verbal punch-ups are interrupted throughout by mobile and phone conversations - everyone stops fighting and remains seething, waiting for the call to finish.
It was an uncomfortable hour, but an intriguing one and fascinating to the middle classes - like watching ourselves distort in a hall of mirrors into the grotesque characters that lurk behind the veneer in most of us. Scary.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Despite being set in Brooklyn, Carnage is a very European film. A screenplay very closely based on a French play, directed by a Polish director (Polanski), filmed in France, the only significant American input is two of the four actors (Jodie Foster and John C Reilly). The other two actors are British (Kate Winslett) and Austrian (Christoph Waltz).
And the file feels European. The action is entirely constrained to a single apartment, and is played out in real time as the brittle civility between the four characters breaks down. It's a comedy, but don't expect belly-laughs: it's a comedy of manners, and the humour is in the contrast between what the characters say and how they act towards each other.
Preparation for the filming was apparently comprehensive: the cast learned their lines as though they were presenting the play on stage, and they rehearsed the entire piece every day throughout the weeks of filming. Polanski's presentation is unmistakably Polanski; the resulting film is a superb miniature, acutely observed (Jodie Foster is particularly impressive), short (74 minutes) with a small cast, one set and hardly any props. It's a string quartet of a film rather than a symphony.
The DVD is likewise sparse. The extra is interviews with the four actors, all asked broadly the same set of questions - interesting if you want to know about Polanski's methods.
And the file feels European. The action is entirely constrained to a single apartment, and is played out in real time as the brittle civility between the four characters breaks down. It's a comedy, but don't expect belly-laughs: it's a comedy of manners, and the humour is in the contrast between what the characters say and how they act towards each other.
Preparation for the filming was apparently comprehensive: the cast learned their lines as though they were presenting the play on stage, and they rehearsed the entire piece every day throughout the weeks of filming. Polanski's presentation is unmistakably Polanski; the resulting film is a superb miniature, acutely observed (Jodie Foster is particularly impressive), short (74 minutes) with a small cast, one set and hardly any props. It's a string quartet of a film rather than a symphony.
The DVD is likewise sparse. The extra is interviews with the four actors, all asked broadly the same set of questions - interesting if you want to know about Polanski's methods.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is one of those rare films that leaves you open mouthed and scared and you might want to grab a cushion and watch peaking from behind it, not because it is horror gore, but because it's social awkwardness galore! The dialogue is utterly incisive, and the acting goes without saying: entirely well judged. What is brilliant about the scenario is that from one moment to another you find yourself liking and disliking all of them at some point, but most of all you think "why did you ever decide to get together in this situation". You laugh at them but also empathise. It does poke fun at the entire spectrum of the civilised veneer of particularly the modern middle class, those who struggle with all the same problems of life regardless of how much money or successful you are, but when it all boils down it's basically carnage!
If you are in any way shy of socially difficult situations, this movie is uncomfortable viewing, but stick with it, it is strangely also affirming.
4 starts rather than 5 because there were one or two bits where I was left wanting to see even less restraint, and that's coming from me: a person who hates socially awkward situations!
If you are in any way shy of socially difficult situations, this movie is uncomfortable viewing, but stick with it, it is strangely also affirming.
4 starts rather than 5 because there were one or two bits where I was left wanting to see even less restraint, and that's coming from me: a person who hates socially awkward situations!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Anthony Hand
Format:DVD
In what I presume to be an excellent adaptation of the play, Roman Polanski's 'Carnage' focuses on the parents of two boys, one of which has attacked another with a stick and caused some facial damage, including knocking out a couple of teeth.
In an effort to remain civil, the parents of the "attacker" visit the home of the "victim" in order to sort out the problem.
From the very beginning, there's a kind of 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' style tension in the room that is always threatening to expand into something much worse, despite the fact that both sets of parents are initially interested in civil discourse. As events unfold, gradually the parents attitudes change and things become more and more uncomfortable.
'Carnage', due to Polanski's excellent handling of the directorial reins, never spills over into farce, even though the story threatens to do so at times. It's kept controlled and simmering, the tension lasts the whole running time and unlike the aforementioned Elizabeth Taylor film (as great as it is), it stays somewhat within the realms of reality.
The film is also helped immensely by excellent performances by the four leads, especially from Jodie Foster who just grabs her part and goes at it with great gusto. She also has the hardest role to play.
A short film that doesn't do anything more than expected of it and well worth a view.
In an effort to remain civil, the parents of the "attacker" visit the home of the "victim" in order to sort out the problem.
From the very beginning, there's a kind of 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' style tension in the room that is always threatening to expand into something much worse, despite the fact that both sets of parents are initially interested in civil discourse. As events unfold, gradually the parents attitudes change and things become more and more uncomfortable.
'Carnage', due to Polanski's excellent handling of the directorial reins, never spills over into farce, even though the story threatens to do so at times. It's kept controlled and simmering, the tension lasts the whole running time and unlike the aforementioned Elizabeth Taylor film (as great as it is), it stays somewhat within the realms of reality.
The film is also helped immensely by excellent performances by the four leads, especially from Jodie Foster who just grabs her part and goes at it with great gusto. She also has the hardest role to play.
A short film that doesn't do anything more than expected of it and well worth a view.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great movie
A simple film with some very funny exchanges aided by time and alcohol - well worth watching and having a laugh (maybe at yourself in fact)
Published 12 days ago by Mark
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent black comedy
When the film started I was a little unsure about where it was going but at the same time I felt compelled to see it through.I really enjoyed the film. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Susie Q
5.0 out of 5 stars
Barking Heads
This is a film for DVD viewing, one you need to be able to replay to pick up the flow of dialogue and the crackling subtexts in the characters' delivery. Read more
Published 2 months ago by PP Prong
4.0 out of 5 stars
Funny and very entertaining drama of parental strife
Aces director Roman Polanski brings Yasmina Reza's play God of Carnage to the screen. When one kid hits another in the school playground, the two sets of parents - Jodie Foster and... Read more
Published 2 months ago by ponyboy
4.0 out of 5 stars
Compelling
A film that will grab your attention and make you wish it lasted longer. How many times have you said that about a movie you watched? Read more
Published 3 months ago by S&S
4.0 out of 5 stars
Violence, outrage and honesty in a suburban idyll
Instantly identifiable as a stage play, this slight yet compelling effort from master film maker Roman Polanski is powered by the performances of leads Christoph Waltz, Jodie... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Scaroth, Last of the Jagaroth
5.0 out of 5 stars
Esoteric Watching
very well directed and funny. but you have to like this kind of humour / film.
the whole cast did a great job.
the whole cast did a great job.
Published 3 months ago by Daniel
4.0 out of 5 stars
Polanski has still got it
This is one of the best set piece movies with a great cast. Waltz plays at his best unlike his last movie Django where he played the same character in a western. Read more
Published 4 months ago by PORTMAN
2.0 out of 5 stars
Carnage 1 Polanski 0
I was genuinely surprised to find several reviewers here had awarded this all too aptly titled train wreck five stars. Read more
Published 4 months ago by GlynLuke
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Penelope, I believe in the god of carnage. The god whose rule's been...
I received this DVD courtesy of Amazon Vine.
Firstly although I love the actors in this film, Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet and John C. Read more
Firstly although I love the actors in this film, Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet and John C. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Jodi Dougan
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