Carnage

Polanski et al. have the misfortune that I saw Carnage at the theatre. There, it made me almost die in laughter, at the cinema, however, I smirked amusingly here and there (mostly over Christoph Waltz’s smirks) and laughed (reminiscing the theatre play). It’s a good film, no doubt, with good performances and direction, but I can’t avoid being disappointed, even though I’m rationally aware that comparing a theatre play with a film is stupid. Though in this case is not that stupid actually, because you can really see the theatrical origin of the film… Some lines are clearly not uttered by a normal film character, but very “theatrically” by a character in a play. (29/12/2011)

Closer était une pièce de théâtre adaptée à l’écran, c’est-à-dire traduite en langage filmique. Par contraste, Carnage est une pièce de théâtre en l’état, filmée et montée de sorte qu’elle fonctionne à l’écran. Les acteurs de théâtre ne peuvent pas compter uniquement sur leurs expressions faciales (que les spectateurs ne voient pas de loin) et doivent, par conséquent, surjouer – ils accentuent leur gestuelle et élèvent la voix. Carnage ne traduit pas la pièce originale en langage filmique et se contente de filmer statiquement l’action pour l’écran (notamment en montrant les visages de près). Il n’est donc pas étonnant que certains disent que ce film n’a pas de raison d’être. Mais pour moi, ce film n’est pas futile, et cela pour deux raisons : 1. Même si on a l’occasion de voir la pièce au théâtre, il est peu probable que ce soit avec ces quatre acteurs-là ; 2. Regarder ce super-quatuor d’acteurs en sachant qu’ils se feraient un plaisir de jouer pour Polanski même sans exiger de cachet est pour moi un privilège. (28/01/2012)

J'aurais probablement été enthousiaste si je n’avais pas déjà vu ce superbe dialogue interprété en direct il y a quelques mois au Club dramatique. Comparé à la pièce, le film paraît aride, contenu et inexpressif. Au théâtre, les incessants coups de fil étaient juste parfaits au point de susciter des vagues de rire à chaque fois. Par contre, dans le film, c'était plutôt perturbant, même si Christoph Waltz donne le meilleur de lui-même comme à son habitude. Certaines pièces de théâtre devraient se passer d’une adaptation cinématographique, même si ce sont un réalisateur et des acteurs compétents qui s’en chargent. (21/02/2012)

Good dialogues are a good foundation of a high-quality dialogue-based movie. The premise itself takes the lead role here – it’s incredibly original – and the actors are doing such a great job it seems they loved the premise as well. My personal favorite was Christopher Waltz and his incredibly arrogant lawyer. Nevertheless, I believe that different viewers will fall for different characters. This movie literally lives and dies with the actors and I believe that a stage play with good actors could yield the same result. (24/11/2015)

A decent short conversational film with excellent actors and a stifling atmosphere that will make couples laugh. It could have been funnier, but it didn't offend. Christoph Waltz excels again. 65%. (06/11/2017)

Everything Roman Polanski gains from Christoph Waltz's grimace or Kate Winslet's untenable mimicry is destroyed by the overblown premise that could never work fully outside the theater. All the coming out of doors and calling the elevator is too stupidly unnecessary in the first half, when it is absolutely clear that it will lead to nothing and everything has to return to the two rooms with incomprehensibly violent crutches. The sad irony with directly corrosive satire at its heart would work much better without convulsively snaring the plot in a single place; as it is, this massacre only manages it through hints. (16/02/2012)

Apparently, it doesn't take much to make a good and interesting film. And it doesn't need to burn either a budget or time. One apartment, four people, and well-written dialogue, where you know where it’s going but you still enjoy it. I was expecting a slightly different ending, God knows why, but I'm certainly not complaining. Pretty good, a strong 3.5 stars. (07/12/2020)

In life, we put on various masks and suppress our emotions and instincts in order to avoid confrontation with our surroundings and not jeopardize our interests and social status. Only in exceptional cases do we take off the masks and reveal our inner selves. In Carnage, this happened to four participants of a meeting that was supposed to serve as a reconciliation. However, vanity, anger, and alcohol led to the abandonment of the civilizational shell and exposed what we usually hide from our surroundings. Carnage is a black comedy about what happens to people when they lose control and become dangerously honest. It would probably be more suitable for theater stages, where it ultimately belongs, but Roman Polanski managed to gather four top actors in a small space, and thus the theater layout doesn't really matter. I had a great time, and as I think about it, it's actually a pity to originally give it 4 stars, so I'm adding a fifth one. Especially considering the two ladies who thoroughly enjoyed playing their hysterical and poser characters. Overall impression: 90%. (31/10/2016)

It’s straightforward, simple conversational theater translated to the screen. And yet excellent. A good text and four confident actors are all you need. The movie theater roared with laughter throughout the screening, because where else will we all see ourselves other than in stereotypes of arguments and gender wars? Nothing about it is perfect, nothing is convincing and it’s full of acting mannerisms, but it is really nice. Where else can one you Kate Winslet puking all over the screen? That’s definitely included. It's just too bad that Julie Adams from Creature from the Black Lagoon has only a tiny cameo here. (22/03/2012)

A perfect film where all four actors give perfect performances. You know what I Carnage probably reminded me the most? The good old Czechoslovak TV plays, which also needed so "little" to take your breath away. (17/01/2013)

When I first heard that acclaimed director Roman Polanski was going to make a somewhat more intimate film with such bright stars as Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly, I couldn't believe my ears and said I just had to see this. And the wait has borne fruit! Carnage is in many ways a nearly perfect film that basically takes place in one apartment, where an initially innocent conversation between four adults turns into a wild quarrel between misbehaving children. The actors were all great - the extremely snarky Waltz, the hilariously drunk and laughing lady actresses, and the "mouse-loving" Reilly. All in all, a very nice and enjoyable film, perfect for brightening up the evening and improving the mood. (17/01/2012)

In most cases, films that focus specifically on dialogue don’t interest me much, but this was different. Roman Polanski created a great film with brilliant dialogue. I liked it because the tension between the parents of both children built up as the minutes went by. I honestly don’t know who among the actors performed the best. They were all fantastic, but if I had to highlight one, it would be Christoph Waltz. His moments with phone calls were superb, and his speeches were even better. This film clearly shows that to be successful, all you need is outstanding actors, and that a high budget isn’t necessary. I give it 80%. (05/06/2016)

The play has made its way to the big screen. This isn’t unusual; it has happened often in the past. For example, Universal's classic horrors were originally stage plays. Carnage is a new play that I was fortunate enough to see performed on stage. It was worth it. Roman Polanski did nothing more than adapt the play for the screen. He managed with just four characters and staged a drama that criticizes society, our dependence on communication technologies, and our inability to communicate. The performances are great; there’s nothing to fault them for, but it’s still mainly a stage play that doesn’t bring anything new in its film adaptation. In fact, the theatrical rendition is more magical, especially when half of the audience was right on stage in the theater where I saw it. In the film, it’s just a repeated experience that doesn’t stand out significantly, but it doesn’t disappoint either. (15/02/2013)

I have been postponing watching Carnage for a long time, even though I was afraid of missing out on a great movie. In the end, that's not completely true. It is indeed a well-cast conversational film, but in terms of the script, it's rather weak. As for the director, I could also imagine someone else in their place, perhaps someone with more experience in comedies than Polanski. I would be lying if I said I didn't laugh. Desplat's musical accompaniment was exceptional as well, but I would have preferred the dialogues to be much deeper, more paradoxical, funnier, and more charming. So, it wasn't exactly a bomb. (26/08/2016)