I gave Roman Polanski's latest some consideration here during the New York Film Festival, and I've imported a few of my prior thoughts, and some new ones, into a proper review for MSN Movies.
Further “Carnage”
You May Also Like
The men in my little girl’s life
The men in my little girl’s life
Last week Jeffrey Wells posted a bit of a sneak preview of Criterion's upcoming DVD…
Glenn KennyJuly 15, 2009
Nirvana for cinecrophiles
Nirvana for cinecrophiles
"Cinecrophilia" is the admittedly quite clever coinage of The New Yorker's Richard Brody, who has…
Glenn KennyMarch 3, 2011
“Kenny, affecting a perhaps Germanic severity…”
“Kenny, affecting a perhaps Germanic severity…”
My buddy Matt Carr, photog supreme, bemoaned the lack of portrait-taking opportunities afforded him at…
Glenn KennyMay 25, 2008
Looks like that link goes to a list of links for other reviews, some of a different CARNAGE entirely.
That might be a glitch on your browser, JB; from where I sit, the link goes to my review, below which there is a Metacritic list, which does quote from some reviews of a different “Carnage.” Not quite sure whose issue that is. I’ll look into it…
Link wasn’t working (for me) when it was first posted, but now is—might have been a delay on MSN’s side.
Astute observations, Glenn. I’ve just been writing about “Carnage” for the book I’m doing on Polanski for Phaidon’s “Masters of Cinema” series. He thrives on confined spaces and sharply calibrated performances. This is “filmed theater” at its best, comparable to Hitchcock’s “Rope,” late perdiod Resnais ( especially “Melo”), Sacha Guitry and Joseph L. Mankiewicz (especially “A Letter To Three Wives”)
My co-worker, who is a big theater goer and lover, thought the play was facile – though he liked the performances – and I can see his point. Being funny covers a lot of sins, however, and I thought this was very funny. And while after reading the play, I wondered how Polanski could make a film out of this, he does know how to do a well-orchestrated chamber piece.