CARNAGE

     JODIE FOSTER  KATE WINSLET  CHRISTOPH WALTZ  JOHN C. REILLY

WHEN PENELOPE (FOSTER) AND MICHAEL'S (REILLY) CHILD GETS HIT THE FACE WITH A STICK BY NANCY (WINSLET) AND ALAN'S (WALTZ) CHILD, THE PARENTS HAVE A MEETING TO TRY AND WORK THINGS OUT.  THE MEETING STARTS OUT TENSE BUT CORDIAL, HOWEVER IT QUICKLY SINKS INTO A VERBAL ATTACK BETWEEN ALL FOUR PARENTS.
CARNAGE IS A VERY DARK AND SUBTLE COMEDY.  THERE IS A LOT OF DIALOGUE, AND YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO WHAT IS BEING SAID TO GET THE FULL IMPACT OF ALL THE PERFORMANCES.  REILLY SEEMED A LITTLE OUT OF PLACE: HIS ACTING IS GOOD BUT IT'S JUST A TAD BELOW THAT OF THE OTHER THREE AND SOMETIMES IT WOULD SHOW.  HIS CHARACTER MICHAEL TRIED TO KEEP THINGS CIVIL AND NOT LET THINGS GET TOO WILD.  ALAN, AS PLAYED BY WALTZ, WAS A SELF-RIGHTEOUS LAWYER WHO CARED MORE ABOUT HIS CASES THAN HIS FAMILY.  THIS MANIFESTED ITSELF QUITE HILARIOUSLY IN HIS USE OF HIS CELL PHONE.  NANCY WAS A BIT CONSERVATIVE WHO WANTED TO DO THE RIGHT THING, BUT NEEDED TO VENT HER FEELINGS ON CERTAIN THINGS THAT WOULD LEAD TO A CONFRONTATION WITH THE OTHERS, INCLUDING HER HUSBAND.  FINALLY PENELOPE, THE LIBERAL OF THE GROUP, CLASHED WITH THE OTHERS MOSTLY BECAUSE OF HER LIBERALNESS.  AS MIGHT BE EXPECTED, THE MEN BONDED AND THE WOMEN DIDN'T. 
CARNAGE WAS ADAPTED FROM A PLAY AND SOMETIMES IT FEELS MORE LIKE WATCHING A PLAY THAT HAS BEEN FILMED THAN WATCHING A FILM, BUT THE PERFORMANCES ARE QUITE GOOD AND THERE ARE MANY LAYERS IN THE CHARACTERS THAT WILL BECOME APPARENT AFTER A FEW VIEWINGS.  CHECK IT OUT.
RATING  3 out of 4