Starring: Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, John C Reilly
Director: Roman Polanski

Summary: The parents of two boys involved in a playground fight meet up to “sort out” the problems caused by the altercation, yet they soon find out that their polite manners are concealing many contradictions and prejudices...

Playing out in “real time”, Carnage is intimate, enclosed and claustrophobic. Where so much rests on the strong cast assembled by Polanski and thankfully despite the acting gravitas (and egos) in the room, each actor gets their moment to stand out. Although Foster - probably the most experienced and adaptable of the Oscar baiting line up - does occasionally tend to teeter on the wrong side of overacting.

Also John C. Reilly – playing Foster’s put upon husband – has his moments of camera hogging over zealousness. For the most part he manages to pull off the transition from simple and accommodating husband to nihilistic and dark drunkard, yet there are times during his outbursts when you just can’t shake the image of him yelling at Will Ferrell in another gross-out comedy. Reilly’s delivery sometimes seems confused as to whether his character would be better presented comedically or dramatically which is a pity as he has previously shown he can be at ease in roles more challenging than this.

Playing the cool character of the piece with effortless ease, Christoph Waltz (star of Tarantino’s Inglorious Bastards) is the guy audiences will want to identify with as soon as the reel starts turning. However Waltz - along with the rest of them - do fall into the background somewhat when Kate Winslet is stealing the show. Not only for her brilliant drunken acting (which when done well is always a highlight for this reviewer), but also just for her character. At first she appears rather uninteresting and just an appendage to her partner (Waltz), but she later develops into the main source of destruction, and the most naturally mesmerising of the lot.

In fact it is Winslet - as always - losing herself magnificently in the chaos of the intoxicated finale that is wonderful stand out of Carnage. Her performance alone epitomises the annihilation of modern life and all the trivialities therein, that sit at the heart of this story and bring it above the pedestrian levels it threatens to hit on occasion.