ÿþ<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" /> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=EmulateIE7" /> <meta name="keywords" content="movie review, movie reviews, dvd reviews, blu-ray reviews, recent movie grades" /> <title>True View Reviews</title> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="../../tvr.ico" type="image/x-icon" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../cssnew/index.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../../cssnew/review_list.css" /> </head> <body> <!-- The wrapper division encloses the whole page --> <div class="wrapper"> <a name="top" /> <!-- The header division encloses the page header --> <div class="header"> <a href="../../index.htm"> <img alt="TVRBanner" src="../../graphics/TVRBanner.png" class="trueviewlogo" /> </a> </div> <!-- The content division includes the posters new items, annoucements, copy right & certification areas of the page --> <div class="content"> <div class="moviedata"> <div id="rightpane"> <div class="moviename"> CARNAGE </div> <div class="releasedata"> <a class="releasedata1">Release Date: </a><a class="moviedataitalic">Friday, January 13, 2011</a> <a class="releasedata2">Runtime: </a><a class="moviedataitalic">1 Hour(s), 19 Minutes</a> </div> <div class="genre"> <a class="releasedata1">Genre: </a><a class="moviedataitalic">Comedy, Drama</a> </div> <div class="rating"> <a class="releasedata1">MPAA Rating: </a><a class="moviedataitalic">R</a><a class="moviedataitalic2"> </a> </div> <div class="director"> <a class="moviedirector">DIRECTOR(S): </a><a class="moviedataname"> Roman Polanski</a> </div> <div class="actor"> <a class="moviecast">CAST: </a><a class="moviedataname">Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, John C. Riley</a> </div> </div> <div id="leftpane"> <img src="../../posters/2012/carnage01-13-12.jpg" alt="CARNAGE" class="posterimage" /> </div> </div> <div class="what"> <div class="reviewers"> <div class="reviewer1"> <div class="review_link"> <a href="#A"> <img alt="Laurie" src="../../graphics/TVRIconSm.png" class="review_graphic" /></a> <a class="grade1">A</a> </div> </div> <div class="reviewer2"> <div class="review_link"> <a href="#B"> <img alt="Renee'" src="../../graphics/RRRIconSm.png" class="review_graphic" /></a> <!--<a class="grade1">5</a><br /> <a id="A1">Out of Five Reels</a>--> </div> </div> <div class="reviewer3"> <div class="review_link"> <a href="#C"> <img alt="Liz" src="../../graphics/LizSmIcon.png" class="review_graphic" /></a> <a class="grade2">B+</a> </div> </div> <div class="reviewer4"> <div class="review_link"> <a href="#D"> <img alt="Mark" src="../../graphics/directorchairsm.png" class="review_graphic" /></a> <!--<a class="grade1">4</a><br /> <a id="A3">Out of Four Stars</a>--> </div> </div> </div> <div class="click"> Click on Icon to read individual reviews </div> </div> <div class="reviewpane"> <a name="A" /> <p class="h1"> LAURIE COKER'S REVIEW<br /> RATING: A</p> <p> I had had the WORST morning of my life when I went to see two films (screening for Austin Film Critics Association press) on a wintry, wet Friday morning. My friend dropped me off and I justly needed the diversion, but was in no state to actually get pleasure from much of anything. The first feature was of a serious nature, which I will review later, but the second had a comic air to it, albeit dark comedy and I truly enjoyed the experience of  Carnage, a film starring Jodi Foster, John C. Riley, Christoph Waltz and Kate Winslet.<br /><br /> As I understand it,  Carnage , based on the stage play  God of Carnage written by Yasmina Reza, is playing currently at a local theatre and proved a huge hit on Broadway. The entire affair takes place in a New York City apartment, owned by Michael (Riley) and Penelope (Foster) Longstreet, whose son took a blow in the face, in a playground standoff, from the son of Alan (Waltz) and Nancy (Winslet) Cowen. Penelope invites the Cowen s over for a conversation regarding the boys, hoping to garner an apology and keep peace between the families, but from the onset, it is apparent that Penelope is NOT okay with her son s injuries and as the minutes wear on, we see anger and frustration on all fronts and discover differences, secrets and discrepancies in each couples relationships and childrearing styles.<br /><br /> I love live theatre and as I watched, I honestly felt transported to the stage  where BIG performances are in order, since projection and visible emotions are vital. This cast is exceptional and I wonder how to categorize them  actors or supporting actors. Each fills the space wonderfully when he or she takes the forefront of conversation. Foster s Penelope, a pinched, anal-retentive,  can t-we-all-get-along, peace lover tries desperately to make her guests comfortable, all the while waiting (nay, expecting) some sort of apology (which only comes in the jaded,  oh, we must form). Waltz s Alan spends at least eighty percent of his time on his cell phone, discussing a pharmaceutical deal that is floundering under bad press and poor clinical results, irritating not only his wife, but the Longstreets as well. He seems disconnected and he actually refers to his son as a maniac. Clearly he and Nancy are not that surprised at his actions, leaving Penelope to see them as disinterested and uncaring parents.<br /><br /> Riley plays Michael, at first, as an ostensibly simple enough, good ol boy, who sells fixtures, but we see even this seemingly conservative man, leap into verbal action when irritation sets in, especially with the implications about his work coming from Alan, and then later when he reveals his real feelings about his wife s idiosyncrasies. Conflicts arise between the Longstreets and the Cowens, and as a matter of course between each couple. At once they are allies (each couple), but on a turn of events, they roll on each other causing a men against women scenario and these emotions and interactions flip and flop like a haddock on a dock. And they even all gang up on one or the other as things progress. Tulips, a cell phone, table art books, cobbler and even vomit come into play and it is truly funny to watch, in an edgy, oh my, dark, comic way.<br /><br /> Director Roman Polanski, who adapted the screenplay, does a wonderful job capturing the subtleties of human emotion, relationships and parenting. In a sort span of time, we KNOW the couples and understand the reasoning behind actions and words. We watch, perhaps all too knowingly, as things fall apart, crash, recover and then tumble again and again. Wits are matched, nerves stretched and emotions run high. His apartment  pressure cooker environment serves as the perfect pot in which to bring his inhabitants to a stressful boil and boil they do  hilarious and yet telling and truthful.<br /><br /> Truth is, I was in the perfect mood to hate any film I saw that cold day, but I did not. In fact, because its wicked, overtly honest humor, I am placing an A in my grade book. I actually might see the live production just to see it done that way, but I don t think local actors could surpass the quality of the film s cast. While I enjoyed Waltz best, all four actors are incredibly suited and entertaining.<br /><br /> </p> <br /> <p class="byline">Laurie Coker, True View Reviews</p> <a href="#top" class="backtotop">(Top)</a> </div> <!--<div class="reviewpane"> <a name="B" /> <p class="h1"> RENEE' COLLINS' REVIEW<br /> RATING: 5 (Out of 5 Reels)</p> <p> <br /><br /> </p> <br /> <p class="byline"> Renee' Collins, Renee's Reel Reviews</p> <a href="#top" class="backtotop">(Top)</a> </div>--> <div class="reviewpane"> <a name="C" /> <p class="h1"> ELIZABETH LOPEZ' REVIEW<br /> RATING: B+</p> <p> Over the recent holidays, I was not able to get to the Zachary Scott Theater for a local performance of the play, God of Carnage, by playwright Yasmina Reza (translated by Christopher Hampton and directed by Matt Lenz), but it would have made a good comparison to the Roman Polanski directed film,  Carnage, opening in four Austin theaters on January 13th, 2012.<br /><br /> Reza adapted her play in French, "Le Dieu du carnage," for the screen with Roman Polanski and the 80 minutes of comedy/drama among the ensemble cast - Jodi Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly - is fantastic.<br /><br /> The Boston Society of Film Critics Awards named them the  Best Ensemble Cast in 2011 and currently, Foster and Winslet are nominated for a Golden Globe in the category  Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical. At the Venice Film Festival, Polanski won the  Little Golden Lion award in 2011. These are just a few of the many nominations this film and cast/crew have received to date.<br /><br /> The film also has Original Music by the French multi-Oscar winning composer, Alexandre Desplat, that enhances the comedy and drama among the two married couples, Penelope (Jodi Foster) and Michael Longstreet (John C. Reilly) and Nancy (Kate Winslet) and Alan Cowan (Christoph Waltz), as they meet for the first time. At first sight, it appears obvious that the two couples have the same lifestyles.<br /><br /> The Cowan couple has gone to the Longstreet home to discuss the issue surrounding their two sons who have had a disagreement while on the playground. The Longstreet parents consider their son the  victim and the Cowan s son the  bully, but it is not long after the Cowan s meet the Longstreet couple that the parental differences emerge.<br /><br /> What begins as a polite discussion of childrearing and negotiating some action for their two sons behavior, quickly takes a negative turn as all four parents reveal their personality and belief system  even if it is not in accord with their own spouse. Sit back in the theater seat and watch the carnage begin and especially so, after the alcohol begins to flow and words fly.<br /><br /> This ensemble cast deserves the nominations and awards they have received and they are performances you do not want to miss. Although I saw the film a few weeks ago, it is very tempting to go back to the theater and watch this great cast perform so well as parents who behave so badly.<br /><br /> See it in Austin starting Friday the 13th (how appropriate) at the Regal Arbor Theater, Violet Crown Cinema, Cinemark Tinseltown 20 and Metropolitan 14.<br /><br /> </p> <br /> <p class="byline"> Elizabeth Lopez, Cine y Mas</p> <a href="#top" class="backtotop">(Top)</a> </div> <!--<div class="reviewpane"> <a name="D" /> <p class="h1"> MARK SALDANA'S REVIEW<br /> RATING: 4 (Out of 4 Stars)</p> <p> <br /><br /> </p> <br /> <p class="byline"> Mark Saldana, The Movie Doc</p> <a href="#top" class="backtotop">(Top)</a> </div>--> <div class="reviewpane"> <div class="footer"> <!-- The certification section displays the W3C certification for the page. --> <div class="cert"> <a href="http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=referer"> <img src="../../graphics/valid-xhtml10.gif" alt="Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional" class="w3c" /></a> <br /> <a href="http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/images/vcss-blue"> <img src="../../graphics/vcss-blue.gif" alt="Valid CSS!" class="w3c" /></a> </div> <!-- The copyright sections include the copyright disclimers at the bottom of the page --> <div class="copyright"> <img alt="copyright1" src="../../graphics/copyright1.png" /> </div> <div class="copyright2"> <img alt="copyright2" src="../../graphics/copyright2.png" /> </div> <div class="copyright3"> <img alt="copyright3" src="../../graphics/copyright3.png" /> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </body> </html>