Carnage

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)

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)

Closer was a theater play adapted to the screen, i.e. translated into film language. Carnage is not an adapted theatre play, but rather a theater play shot and edited for the screen. Theatre actors cannot rely on their facial expressions (which the audience cannot see from afar), and that’s why they are forced to overact – they must resort to exaggerated body language and loud voices. Carnage doesn’t translate the original play into film language and statically captures theatrical acting on the screen (while showing the actors’ faces from up close). That’s why some viewers say it’s an unnecessary film. For me, however, it is not unnecessary for two reasons: 1. Even if someone made me see the play in the theater, I’d hardly get the chance to see it with these four actors. 2. To watch these four actors while knowing they’d be happy to perform for Roman Polanski even without a paycheck is nothing short of an honor. (28/01/2012)

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)

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. (21/03/2012)