Carnage

Image via Wikipedia A visit to the wonderful "Duke's" yesterday for a members' preview of the new Polanski film "Carnage". This turned out to be a real treat after some initial problems involving the misreading of train times. Having still managed to arrive before curtain up I was very relieved but found myself sitting right down the front at a somewhat acute angle to the screen. As usual I must warn that there may be

SPOILERS AHEAD.

I shouldn't have been surprised that the film was a treat given that it is a chamber piece written by Yasmina Reza and starring John C. Reilly, Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster and Christoph Waltz. Having seen one of Reza's plays (Life x3) I wasn't surprised to find that the dialogue is very sharp and that the action remains almost entirely in one (alright two) locations. It is very much like a filmed play (and has its origins in her play God of Carnage) albeit with a more mobile POV than would be possible for a theatre goer.


Image via WikipediaThe  premise is that one couple goes to the home of another to discuss the dispute between their sons which has ended in violence requiring dental work. Initially tightly screwed down into a semblance of a civilised attempt at reconcilliation, gradually things deteriorate and we learn more about the individuals, their attitudes to each other and to the offending offspring.









Image via WikipediaJust wonderful in my opinion and I look forward to an opportunity to see it again. The film is set in New York but of course could not be filmed there owing to the ongoing legal problems for the director, however given the almost entirely interior location of the story this is not a problem. One minor problem though was that as with the Malick film the screen appeared to me very dark. From my point of view the film took place in something almost resembling twilight. Having blamed Malick for taking his ideas too far (because he had chosen to make the film dark as it was how he remembered the fifties) I am now beginning to suspect it was something to do with the angle I watched both these films at. It is either that or films here are being projected at low luminance. Since I seem to be the only one suffering this I'm going to assume it relates to where I was sitting. This probably means I have to see Deep Blue Sea again...


 Image by Getty Images via @daylife
Image via Wikipedia






In the evening I watched the well-known 1951 film of Dickens' Pickwick Papers. This was another treat, with a cast chock full of familiar faces of the era and well serving Dickens' affectionately humourous portrait of the pompous but loveable Pickwick and his quaint band of oddballs.

Almost as much fun spotting the actors as enjoying the comedy set-pieces. Although a number of scenes from the book are not given an airing in this film, it does no disservice to the tone and humour of one of Dickens' best-loved works.