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Carnage (2011 film)

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Genre
  
Comedy, Drama

Adapted from
  
God of Carnage

Duration
  

Language
  
English

7.2/10
IMDb


Director
  
Release date
  
February 24, 2012 (India)

Story by
  
Country
  
FranceGermanyPolandSpain

Carnage (2011 film) movie poster

Release date
  
1 September 2011 (2011-09-01) (Venice)18 November 2011 (2011-11-18) (Spain)24 November 2011 (2011-11-24) (Germany)7 December 2011 (2011-12-07) (France)20 January 2012 (2012-01-20) (Poland)

Based on
  
Le Dieu du carnage by Yasmina Reza

Writer
  
Yasmina Reza (play), Yasmina Reza (screenplay), Roman Polanski (screenplay), Michael Katims (translation)

Screenplay
  
Roman Polanski, Yasmina Reza

Cast
  
(Nancy), (Penelope), (Alan), (Michael),
Elvis Polanski
(Zachary Cowan),
Eliot Berger
(Ethan Longstreet)

Similar movies
  
Buzzkill
,
What Have I Done to Deserve This?
,
Loitering with Intent
,
Bill Hicks: Relentless
,
Bill Hicks: Bill Loses it in Chicago
,
De udvalgte

Tagline
  
A new comedy of no manners

Carnage is a 2011 internationally co-produced black comedy-drama film directed by Roman Polanski, based on the Tony Award-winning play God of Carnage by French playwright Yasmina Reza. The screenplay is by Reza and Polanski. The film is an international co-production of France, Germany, Poland, and Spain. It stars Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly.

Contents

Carnage (2011 film) movie scenes

Carnage 2011 movie trailer hd movie new york film festival nyff


Plot

Carnage (2011 film) movie scenes

When two grade-school boys get into a fight in the park that results in one boy, Zachary Cowan, hitting the other, Ethan Longstreet, in the face with a stick, their parents meet in a Brooklyn apartment to discuss the matter. Zachary's parents, Alan (Christoph Waltz) and Nancy Cowan (Kate Winslet), visit the home of Michael (John C. Reilly) and Penelope Longstreet (Jodie Foster), Ethan's parents. Their meeting is initially intended to be short, but due to various circumstances, the conversation continues to draw out. In fact, Alan and Nancy begin to leave the apartment on two occasions, but are drawn back in to further discussion.

Carnage (2011 film) movie scenes

At first, the couples are friendly to each other, but their respective comments start to hurt feelings, making everyone argue with one another. Apart from fighting among themselves, the couples blame each other about who is responsible for the fight between their sons. Nancy calls the Longstreets "superficially fair-minded" and Penelope and Michael complain about Alan's arrogant and dull attitude. Everyone also gets irritated with Alan when he accepts endless business phone calls on his BlackBerry, interrupting the discussion, and showing he has more interest in his business problems than the matter at hand. Michael also receives many phone calls from his ailing mother, to his frustration.

Carnage (2011 film) movie scenes

Nancy accuses Michael of being a murderer because he, annoyed by the constant noise it made during the night, had earlier turned his daughter Courtney's pet hamster loose in the street. Penelope becomes emotional about the hamster and with everyone arguing with each other. Other issues include a risky drug Alan is working to defend and Michael's mother has been prescribed, and the question of idealism and responsibility that is part of Penelope's current work.

Carnage (2011 film) movie scenes

Michael offers everyone a glass of fine scotch. Penelope claims she doesn't "get drunk" and Nancy drinks way too many and finally stops Alan's phone calls by dropping his cellphone in Penelope's flower vase full of tulips and water. Penelope and Nancy both laugh uproariously while Michael and Alan try to blow-dry the BlackBerry.

Carnage (2011 film) movie scenes

The conversation continues to decay into personal attacks and opinionated statements and, eventually, epithets are uttered (?). Penelope is ranting, calling Nancy's son a 'snitch', and Nancy's true colors are revealed when she destroys the tulips and drunkenly and vulgarly states she is glad that her son beat up Penelope's and Michael's son. The couples realize the conversation is going nowhere. Alan's BlackBerry, lying on the coffee table, vibrates, and all four stare at it.

Carnage (2011 film) movie scenes

The film cuts to the hamster, alive and well in the park, where Ethan and Zachary are reconciling on their own.

Cast

Carnage (2011 film) movie scenes

  • Jodie Foster as Penelope Longstreet
  • John C. Reilly as Michael Longstreet
  • Kate Winslet as Nancy Cowan
  • Christoph Waltz as Alan Cowan
  • Elvis Polanski as Zachary Cowan
  • Eliot Berger as Ethan Longstreet
  • Roman Polanski as a neighbor (uncredited cameo)
  • Production

    Although set in Brooklyn, New York, the film was shot in Paris, because of Polanski's fugitive status. The opening and closing scenes, ostensibly filmed in Brooklyn Bridge Park, were shot in France against a green screen. Polanski's son Elvis, seen only in long shots in the opening and closing scenes, portrays the Cowans' son. Actress Julie Adams (famous for Creature from the Black Lagoon) voices Alan Cowan's secretary on the phone, and was a dialect coach for Waltz.

    The apartment, in which almost the whole film takes place, was designed in a sound studio on the outskirts of Paris. Production designer Dean Tavoularis placed a priority on making the set look authentically American, having numerous products and appliances shipped from the U.S., and going to the trouble of spending tens of thousands of dollars to rent locks and hinges that look American rather than European.

    Release

    The film premiered at the 68th Venice International Film Festival. The film was released in the United States on 16 December 2011 by Sony Pictures Classics.

    Critical response

    Carnage received generally positive reviews from critics. It holds a 72% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which notes that "it isn't as compelling on the screen as it was on the stage, but Carnage makes up for its flaws with Polanski's smooth direction and assured performances from Winslet and Foster." On Metacritic, which uses an average of the critics' reviews, the film holds a 61/100, indicating "Generally favorable reviews".

    John Anderson of Newsday compared the film to Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and said: "The astonishing Waltz steals the picture, possibly because he's the one with a rational perspective (despite his telephonic obsessiveness). He sees the whole exercise as pointless. Ultimately, so do we." Giuseppe Sedia of the Krakow Post remarked that the descent of four adults to a thuggish level has been featured as well in Polanski's short film Rozbijemy zabawę. He added that "it is interesting to speculate on what Hitchcock might have made of Reza's oeuvre".

    Box office

    Shot on a budget of $25 million, Carnage grossed $2.5 million at the U.S. box office after twenty weeks in theaters, with another $25 million in foreign countries, for a worldwide gross of $27,603,069.

    Accolades

    Golden Globe Awards
    Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy - Jodie Foster (nominee)
    Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy - Kate Winslet (nominee)

    Satellite Awards
    Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture - Kate Winslet (nominee)
    Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture - Christoph Waltz (nominee)

    European Film Awards
    Best Actress - Kate Winslet (nominee)
    Best Screenwriter - Roman Polanski and Yasmina Reza (nominee)

    Goya Awards
    Best European Film - Roman Polanski (nominee)

    César Award
    Best Writing – Adaptation - Roman Polanski and Yasmina Reza (nominee)

    Cinema Writers of Spain
    Best Adapted Screenplay - Roman Polanski, Yasmina Reza (nominee)

    Boston Society of Film Critics
    Best Ensemble Cast - Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly

    San Diego Film Critics Society Awards
    Best Ensemble Performance - Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly (nominee)

    68th Venice International Film Festival
    Nominated - Golden Lion
    Won - Little Golden Lion

    References

    Carnage (2011 film) Wikipedia
    Carnage (2011 film) IMDbCarnage (2011 film) Rotten TomatoesCarnage (2011 film) MetacriticCarnage (2011 film) Roger EbertCarnage (2011 film) themoviedb.org