Wow! Such a good movie.

Perfect cast and a good story

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Why aren't there more movies like Carnage? Why is it that I've had to hear about this movie from the immensely intelligent father of my best friend? Why is it that movies like these don't get more attention? I don't know… it should.Carnage has a a simple premise : two kids got into a fight, the one hurt the other and now the parents of both children need to sort it out. The problem is that these personalities don't really mesh. It does however create some very (though dark humor like) funny moments. You have a workaholic advocate who doesn't really have time for children played by Christoph Waltz. His wife, played by Kate Winslet is an uptight, trying-to-be friendly businesswomen who really comes of as a bit awkward( which is really funny). On the other side you've got a laid back father who's pretending to be dummer than he really is (played by John C. Reilly) and his wife, played by Jodie Foster, who is really pretentious, both in her job, but especially in her child's education.The thing where this movie really shines is it's writing and it's actors. It is very apparent that this movie is an adaptation from a play, because you can almost 'read' the situations which the writers are trying to create. You can also really read the thoughts of these characters throughout the movie, this is as much a compliment to the writing as to the amazing jobs of the actors: they all understand that they have a certain stereotype to play and they do such a good job at making these certain tics really recognizable. The thing that surprised me is that this movie has such a simple concept but it could still continuously grasp my attention with the witty dialogue. Everybody will undoubtedly find himself rooting for one or two persons at the beginning of the movie, but the fun thing is the arcs of all the characters are all over the place, which catches you of guard, because at some moments you will find "you're character" teaming up with the character despise most. Somehow Carnage makes it work though. The fact that the movie is only about 90 minutes long makes it even more lighter than it already is, it's just a fun time!I don't know what it is about Carnage but something about this film makes you want to see more simple movies like these. I absolutely recommend this movie for everyone, not necessarily a must see in the cinema, but certainly a fun pick-up movie.8,5/10 Verdict: remarkably accurate portrayal

The purpose of this review is to demonstrate if the whole movie (directors, actors, cameras, ...) used the "huis clos" thematic in an efficient way.First of all, the movie starts with a child hurting another in a park. It's the only scene of the movie which is filmed outside the "huis clos" area. The rest of the plot takes place inside an apartment with only 4 actors, two couples of parents, Jodie Foster with John C. Reilly and Kate Winslet with Christoph Waltz.Each personality is very different but one stands out compared to the others. It's the Alan Cowan's one (Waltz). He has all the characteristics of the annoying corporate worker/businessman being himself head of a law firm. His cynical and sarcastic lines will greatly contribute to the suffocating feeling trough the movie. Him and Michael Longstreet (Reilly) will be the only characters to have contacts outside the "huis clos". The former, contacting his client an outstanding number of times which will lead the plot to reach its peak and explode, the latter receiving calls from his mother. Also, we will never hear any of the interlocutors, we will only hear what our characters ask and answer to them. The cameras didn't use particular angles inside the apartment. Only the script gets the mood heavier and lighter.As the story ends, every character will settle down and stops being petulant. The storyline is shaped like mountain, increasing to the peak, and then, decreasing to the ground.As a matter of fact, the movie succeed in the "huis clos" exercise. It balances well between suffocating and more ventilated moments. The actors and the script help a lot. The early stages were long to catch the viewer attention, nevertheless, the movie is a success and a nice tribute to Sartre.

'Carnage' is a play filmed by none less than Roman Polanski, although one assumes he personally didn't oversee the location-setting shots in Brooklyn, New York. But it is in some senses a very American story, a pair of affluent liberal couples meet up to discuss amicably a conflict that has taken place between their children, and end up descending into a pit of mutual fury and bile. But the overall structure is forced: the natural thing to do when you can't reason with someone is to walk away, especially if you take particular pride in thinking of yourself as civilised. Without a locked room, the story makes less sense. And while it aspires to be a scathing satire on the pretensions of the privileged classes, most people are pretty partisan when it comes to their children. The film thus ends up as the tale of four not very nice people having an extended argument, full stop. Listening to them is one way you can pass eighty minutes of your own life, but you might find you have superior alternatives.

The acting is classy, the colours are deep and the camera work is wonderful. That's as good as this film gets. Beyond that, a dull and ultimately pointless story with no real ending.All very well praising the acting etc. but the film is marketed as being explosive and funny. In truth only one or two parts made me laugh and while a few other bits took my interest, the rest is reminiscent of an awfully scripted play. Also, did I mention, there is no real ending. I've really no idea what else to say regarding it, it was a film that could have been done in about 15 minutes. Don't recommend personally, and if you do watch it, don' expect anything to come of it. Sorry Kate!