Friday, December 16, 2011

Carnage

What could possibly happen when two contemporary, middle-aged, New York City couples get together? A lot more than just coffee and cobbler, to say the least. The plot seems simple enough--two sets of parents meet to try and resolve circumventing issues after their respective sons have a school yard fight. However, the individualism of both couples and of each parent separately, progressively fuel a battle of their own. And what initially starts out as an effort to find resolve between them, spawns into an outrageous series of quarrels that has very little to do with either of their children. The actual fight sequence between Ethan and Zachary (portrayed by Eliot Berger and Polanski's own son Elvis) that opens the movie provides a nice introduction to the storyline. In the theater version, the incident was referred to a lot but never actually seen. Seeing the incident allows us to put a face to the names and actually see these boys as more than just the bane of their parents' lives at present. It may seem insignificant at first, but it is this quarrel that is the very root that feeds all the later mishaps and misfits of Carnage.

Director Roman Polanski has a body of work that spans over half a century. Though varied in plot and characters, they all embrace human indifference and dramatizes even the simplest of circumstances. Early audiences trembled over the horrors of Rosemary's Baby and reveled in his contempt to intrigue in the multilayered plot of Chinatown. Younger audiences hare probably more familiar with a sentimental reproach by the director, particularly with The Pianist which earned him a Best Director Oscar in 2002. Despite being a satirical comedy, Carnage is no different. Polanski's regard for personal voice resonates here, despite the extremities of the characters. Though this might be a new playing field for director, the storyline itself holds true to Polanski's style of individual character emphasis.

Some have already compared Carnage to other films, such as Mike Nichols' Closer because that story intimately revolves around four characters and Richard Linklater's Tape because the entire film takes place in a single motel room. Although neither of them really are fair comparisons in terms of story or genre. Carnage actually mirrors one of his very early Polish films Nóż w wodzie (Knife in the Water), where the same sort of minimalist focus is made on a few central characters foregoing interpersonal rivalry and tension. This kind of intimacy both on screen and with the director's approach, couldn't have been better paired. A different director might have fumbled over the prospects of confined spaces and so few characters, but not Polanski. We have seen precisely this sort of insular attention and urban alienation before in many of his prior films, including Repulsion, The Tenant, and of course Rosemary's Baby. At the film's North American debut at the New York Film Festival, event director Richard Pena probably best summarized both Carnage and Polanksi in his introduction, "(He's) a poet of small spaces … in just a couple of rooms, he can conjure up an entire world, an entire society."

Some of Polanski's prior films that were originally stage plays include Ariel Dorfman's Death and the Maiden which featured Ben Kingsley and Sigourney Weaver, and Shakespeare's tragedy about the price of ambition, MacBeth with Jon Finch in the title role. So he is long versed in the tactics of stage to screen adaptation. And more often than not, Polanski has had a hand in writing the scripts for the movies he directs. All too is true of Carnage. He collaborated with playwright Yasmina Reza while in Switzerland, to faithfully bring her one-act play "Le Dieu du Carnage" to the Silver Screen. Perhaps, the fact that he himself was under house arrest at the time contributed to the insights of the confined setting. Although Raza's play had originated in Zürich back in 2006, it is not the version that most people are familiar with. After a successful run in Paris, Academy Award Winner* Christopher Hampton had translated the French play for English-speaking audiences which had a stint in London and then New York. The Broadway rendition brought together a stellar quartet of actors: James Gandolfini, Marcia Gay Harden, Jeff Daniels and Hope Davis. Each of whom garnered Tony Award nominations for their performances, with Harden winning for Best Leading Actress, and the overall production winning for Best Play and Best Direction. So to say the least, there is naturally a certain amount of expectation for the film version.

At first glace, the two couples seemingly couldn't be any more different than night and day. The Cowan's are your a-typical, white collar, corporate workaholics, while the Longstreets are the more artistic, creative types who work for themselves. What makes these two couples so intriguing are not so much the ways that they are different, but rather the ways they are similar. As the story progresses, we are exposed to more and more of the back story of each of these characters. There is a dynamic that evolves between the four of them. First as the two couples, then as women and men, and eventually as four complete irrationals at each other's necks. We can revel in the idea of knowing that even the most ideal of couples have their differences.

From the very beginning, Penelope Longstreet is clearly the most offended by the fight between their sons and really is the first instigator among them. The character herself takes bleeding-heart liberal to a whole other level. Such is prevalent long before she flies of her emotional rocker about various superficialities like word choices and meaningless social ideals. I physically wanted to slap her on more than one occasion and if she were my wife I'd have put her out long before any hamster. Jodi Foster's performance as Penelope is both overdone and overrated. She doesn't convey Penelope's inner neurosis enough by the sarcastic phrases alone, so she consistently exaggerates her facial expressions to compensate. Her eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her skull several times. This really isn't that surprising considering Foster's recent slew of bad so-called thrillers (Panic Room, Flightplan, The Brave One, etc). She really hasn't done anything particularly outstanding since Nell, which was nearly two decades ago. Polanski's cinematic eye may be partially to blame, since there are way too many up-close-and-personal shots of her emotional outbursts. This wouldn't be at all unusual, if she was less contrite and seemed more at ease with the dialog. You never quite believe what she is preaching about, be it Western societal standards or proper juvenile etiquette. Foster's Penelope just lacks genuine conviction. Forceful tears and irrational antics alone doesn't believably convey human sentiment.

John C. Reilly as "everyman" Michael Longstreet probably has the most thankless role of the lot. A working class man and token peacemaker, he tries his damnedest to be the supportive husband to a dominating wife and the good son to an anxiously ill mother who's about to undergo surgery. Michael, himself, is clearly a mama's boy who seemingly has been underscored by the women in his life since his own childhood. By humorously putting himself down as means to support his views, Michael seeks to conceal an inferiority complex behind an optimistic displacement that borders on Pollyanna-esque annoyance. Nonetheless, Reilly is a good fit here. He has great comedic timing and doesn't loose sight of his character in the dialog, unlike Foster. As an actor, Reilly is probably best known for playing aimless imbeciles (think Dale Doback in Step Brothers) or hapless authority figures like Officer Kurring in Magnolia. This is actually pretty unfortunate when you consider the range of roles Reilly has undertaken. His turn as the ever loyal and under-appreciated husband Amos Hart in Chicago garnered him an Academy Award nomination; justly so when you consider how many actors could iconize being a looser and put it to music. But because Reilly so frequently portrays these roles, it's not a breakthrough here in itself. Nonetheless, his astute ability to make otherwise docile situations comedic does add to the movie.

Let's talk about Kate. Much like Reilly, Kate Winslet's character Nancy Cowan plays second fiddle to her spouse. Despite having her own career and personal successes, she struggles with a precedence that their home and children are the domaine of the woman. Her situation brings about one of the more interesting topics of the film--sexual stereotypes. Winslet herself is right on par with her portrayal of this frustrated wife with her own set of ideals and opinions. She bounces back and forth between playing the understanding mother to the zealous self-righteous cynic. There are a few absurdities involving a hamster and a cell phone that bring her character to its peak, but nothing unusual for Winslet. Like Reilly, it's just Kate being Kate. She brings her usual high standard of performance to the table, but the character of Nancy is nothing out of the ordinary, nor is Winslet extraordinary really. When she played the repressed house wife in Todd Field's Little Children, that was extraordinary. Here, she is really nothing more than this frustrated career woman who is desperate for her husband's attention and involvement in more conventional ways.

As corporate attorney Alan Cowan, Waltz unsuspectingly steals the show right out from all his counterparts. At first, Alan seems like he is just there because his wife is forcing him to and you don't think much of him. He starts off subtly in the back seat of things and finagles his way under everyone else's skin, to include the audience. He is constantly taking cell phone calls from his office amidst active conversations, which include when he himself is the one speaking. As the storyline progresses and the other characters come out of their skin, it is Alan who underscores all the main themes. Considering how everyone else in the room has breeched the boundaries of social politeness, it is surprising that it's the money-grubbing lawyer who is the one putting things into perspective. I was pleasantly surprised by Waltz because he just might have performed this role better than it was previously done on stage. He fits into this character so well; it's more than just his air or a concealed accent. His take on this despicable lawyer who consistently represents the interests of practicality above so-called morals, is the guy you love to hate. To the same extent that Foster failed to live up to the standards set forth by Marcia Gay Harden, so too does Waltz outdo Jeff Daniels. Of the four of these actors, it is Christoph Waltz whom deserves the most praise. Just as Alan advises to his work associate in this film, Waltz "goes for the jugular" and makes a killing.

Adaptations are always a difficult medium to produce and even more so to judge. It's not necessarily fair to compare a rendition based upon the ideals set forth by the original. But it is almost unavoidable not to. Some of the more noticeable differences include a change in Alan's endearments for his wife from "woof-woof" to "doodle", the character's first and last names which were perviously Alan & Annette Raleigh and Michael & Veronica Novak, and most obviously the expanded set that extends beyond just the living room. These may seem like insignificant alterations in the scheme of things, but the visuals have tainted the plot development to a certain extent. Polanski and Reza's script does remain true to the core themes, but the film itself doesn't have the same impact as the stage version. Much of this has to do with the sense of minimalism that was capitalized upon in the play becomes lost in the sprawling effects of the setting. The very views from the Longstreet's windows, the kitchen, the bathroom, the hallways, the elevator all extract from this sense of confinement that was so brilliantly reinforced on stage. Unfortunately, this also takes away from the effects of the dialog and in turn, the overall film itself.

The confinement to the apartment itself, drives the whole concept behind this story. There were several moments where the Cowan's are on the verge of leaving but fail to. This allusion is frustrating within itself. Just when you think they are going to escape, their coats are on and they're in front of the elevator, some other issue is brought about, and they are right back in the center of the Longstreet's social abyss. Because the play didn't do this visually, it is clear that it was a tactical choice by the director. Whether or not it was a wise one, is up to the viewer. Film.com critic Laremy Legel justly criticized Polanski that "The methods employed to keep everyone in the same room, and to keep the plot together, are not as realistic.." However, it is precisely these outlandish circumstances that make up a good satire piece. The very fact that these couples can't seem to say goodbye is in itself hilarious. So to reiterate Legel's perspective, "Once you accept (that) they're gonna be in the apparent, the film gets better."  Not evidence enough, if you ask me.

Rating: ★ ★ 1/2
Bottom Line: A decent rendition of the play and entertaining in its own right. But aside from a stellar performance by Waltz and despite Polanski's best efforts, it's nothing really that spectacular. 


Original Score by Alexandre Desplat

Thursday, December 1, 2011

For Your Consideration:
2011 Oscar Contenders

It's awards season once again and with it comes the prospective best films of the year to earn their weight in gold, namely Oscar® gold. I have assembled my short list of predictions below (more descriptive breakdowns of each category to come) outlining which films I believe to be at the front of the pack and inevitably the most "Oscar® worthy".

A few notes: I do realize that new rules in the Academy will leave a varied number of Best Picture Nominees (anywhere between 5-10) this year, but I went ahead and presented the maximum possible. Which I also held to other categories that also have a variable margin as to its number of nominees, such as Visual Effects and Animated Feature. FFC predictions are listed either alphabetically by film title or by singular nominee's last name. I highlighted my present picks for the winners in gold, which I'm certain will change as the weeks progress and the competition get's deeper into the thick of it all. Also, I included a "plus one" contender to each category as a small precursor to the many hopefuls in consideration this year. The acting awards alone left me muddled for hours trying to narrow it down!..

Best Picture: 
The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

The Help
Hugo
Midnight In Paris
Moneyball
War Horse
+Bridesmaids
+Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
+The Tree of Life

Best Director: 
Stephen Daldry, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Steven Spielberg, War Horse
+Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

Best Actor: 
George Clooney, The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
+Michael Shannon, Take Shelter

Best Actress: 
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
+Adepero Oduye, Pariah

Best Supporting Actor: 
Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn
Albert Brooks, Drive
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
+Armie Hammer, J. Edgar

Best Supporting Actress: 
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants
+Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids

Best Adapted Screenplay:
The Descendants -- Screenplay by Alexander Payne, Nat Faxton & Jim Rash
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close -- Screenplay by Eric Roth
Hugo -- Screenplay by John Logan
Moneyball -- Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillion & Stan Chervin
War Horse -- Screenplay by Lee Hall & Richard Curtis
+Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy -- Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughn

Best Original Screenplay:
The Artist -- Written by Michel Hazanavicius
Beginners -- Written by Mike Mills
Margin Call -- Written by J.C. Chandor
Midnight In Paris -- Written by Woody Allen
Win Win -- Written by Thomas McCarthy & Joe Tiboni
+50/50 -- Written by Will Reiser

Best Animated Feature Film: 
The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret Unicorn -- Directed by Steven Spielberg
Cars 2 -- Directed by John Lasseter & Brad Lewis
Kung Fu Panda 2 -- Directed by Jennifer Yu
Rango -- Directed by Gore Verbinski
Wrinkles -- Directed by Ignacio Ferreras
+Puss In Boots -- Directed by Chris Miller

Best Animated Short Film
Dimanche/Sunday -- Directed by Patrick Doyon (National Film Board of Canada)
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore -- Directed by William Joyce & Brandon Oldenburg (Moonbot Studios LA, LLC)
La Luna -- Directed by Enrico Casarosa (Pixar Animation Studios)
Magic Piano -- Directed by Martin Clapp (BreakThru Films)
Paths of Hate -- Directed by Damian Nenow (Platige Image)
+Luminaris -- Directed by Juan Pablo Zaramella (JPZtudio)

Best Art Direction:

The Artist -- Production Design by Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration by Austin Buchinsky & Robert Gould
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close -- Production Design by K.K. Barrett; Set Decoration by George Detitta, Jr.
Hugo -- Production Design by Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration by Francesca Lo Schiavo
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy -- Production Design by Maria Djurkovic; Set Decoration by Zsuzsa Mihalek
War Horse -- Production Design by Rick Carter; Set Decoration by Lee Sandales
+Anonymous -- Production Design by Sebastian Krawinkel; Set Decoration by Simon-Julien Boucherie

Best Cinematography:
Janusz Kaminski, War Horse
Emmanuel Lubezki, The Tree of Life
Bob Richardson, Hugo
Guillaume Schiffman, The Artist 
Hoyte Van Hoytema, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
+Jeff Cronenweth, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Best Costume Design: 
Mark Bridges, The Artist
Wendy Chuck, The Descendants
Jacqueline Durran, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Michael O'Connor, Jane Eyre
Sandy Powell, Hugo
+Sammy Sheldon, X-Men: First Class

Best Documentary Feature Film:
Bill Cunningham New York -- Directed by Richard Press
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front -- Directed by Marshall Curry & Sam Cullman
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory -- Directed by Joe Berlinger & Bruce Sinofsky
Pina -- Directed by Wim Wenders
Project Nim -- Directed by James Marsh
+Buck -- Directed by Cindy Meehl

Best Documentary Short Film: 
The Barber of Birmingham -- Directed by Gail Dolgin & Robin Fryday
God Is the Bigger Elvis -- Directed by Rebecca Cammisa
Incident in New Baghdad -- Directed by James Spione

Pipe Dreams -- Directed by Ben Green
Saving Face -- Directed by Peter James Iengo

+In Tahrir Square: 18 Days of Egypt's Unfinished Revolution -- Directed by Jon Alpert & Matthew O'Neill 



Best Editing:

The Artist 

-- Anne-Sophie Bion & Michel Hazanavicius
Hugo --  Thelma Schoonmaker
Midnight In Paris -- Alisa Lepselter
Moneyball -- Christopher Tellefsen
War Horse -- 
Michael Kahn
+Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close -- Claire Simpson

Best Foreign Language Film:
 
Footnote (Israel) -- Directed by Joseph Cedar
In Darkness (Poland) -- Directed by Agnieszka Holland
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada) -- Directed by Philippe Falardeau
A Separation (Iran) -- Directed by Asghar Farhadi
Superclásico (Denmark) -- Directed by Ole Christian Madsen
+Pina (Germany) -- Directed by Wim Wenders

Best Live Action Short Film
Je Pourrais Être Votre Grand-Mère (I Could Be Your Grandmother) -- Directed by Bernard Tanguy
Raju -- Directed by Max Zähle
The Roar of the Sea -- Directed by Ana Rocha Fernandes & Torsten Truscheit
Sailcloth -- Directed by Elfar Adalsteins
Tuba Atlantic -- Directed by Hallvar Witzø
+Time Freak -- Directed by Andrew Bowler

Best Makeup:
 
Albert Nobbs -- Matthew W. Mungle, Lynn Johnston & Martial Corneville

Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life -- Patrick Girault, Gill Robillard & Floris Schuller
The Iron Lady --J. Roy Helland & Eva Miller
+Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 -- Mark Coulier, Jennifer Hegarty & Lisa Tomblin

Best Original Score:
Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Alexandre Desplat, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 
Alberto Iglesias, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Howard Shore, Hugo
John Williams, War Horse
+Dario Marianelli, Jane Eyre 

Best Original Song:

"Lay Your Head Down" from Albert Nobbs -- Music & Lyrics by Bryan Bryne & Glenn Close (performed by Sinead O'Connor)
"Star Spangled Man" from Captain America: The First Avenger -- Music & Lyrics by Alan Menken & David Zippel (performed by The Star Spangled Singers)
"The Living Proof" from The Help -- Music & Lyrics by Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Damon Thomas & Harvey Mason, Jr. (performed by Mary J. Blige)
"The Keeper" from Machine Gun Preacher -- Music & Lyrics by Chris Cornell 
"Pictures in My Head" from The Muppets -- Music & Lyrics by Jeannie Lurie, Aris Archontis & Chen Neeman (performed by Kermit & the Muppets)
+"Where the River Goes" from Footloose -- Music & Lyrics by Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, Drew Pearson & Anne Preven (performed by Zac Brown)

Best Sound Editing:
The Adventures of Tintin -- Dave Whitehead & Chris Ward 

Rise of the Planet of the Apes -- Chuck Michael & John Morris
Super 8 -- Ben Burtt & Matthew Wood 
Transformers: Dark of the Moon -- Ethan Van Der Ryn & Erik Aadahl
War Horse -- Richard Hymns
+Drive -- Lon Bender & Victor Ray Ennis

Best Sound Mixing:
 
Hugo -- John Midgley, Tom Fleischman & Simon Rhodes 
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides -- Lee Orloff, Paul Massey, Chris Boyes & Alan Meyerson
Super 8 -- Mark Ulano, Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson & Dan Wallin
Transformers: Dark of the Moon -- Peter J. Devlin, Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers & Jeffrey J. Haboush
War Horse -- Stuart Wilson, Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson & Tom Johnson
+Hanna -- Roland Winke, Christopher Scarabosio, Craig Berkey & Andrew Dudman

Best Visual Effects: 
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 -- Tim Burke, John Richardson, Greg Butler & David Vickery
Hugo -- Rob Legato, Craig Barron, Brandon Bartlett, John Bowers, Matthew Gratzner, Ben Grossmann & Alex Henning
Rise of the Planet of the Apes -- Joe Letteri, Justin Cornish, Daniel Barrett, Jeff Capogreco & Gord Dunick
Transformers: Dark of the Moon -- Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler & John Frazier
The Tree of Life -- Douglas Trumbull
+Real Steel -- Matthew Gratzner, Erik Nash & Olaf Wendt

What films were your favorites? Who deserves Oscar® glory this year? Which movies and/or nominees do you think deserve to be, or not be, on this list? Please do enlighten me.. B-)