Carnage

Roman Polanski's classy farce centres on the petty squabbles of four bourgeois Manhattanites. Following an attack on the Longstreets' (Foster, Reilly) son by their own progeny, the Cowans (Waltz, Winslet) enter the lion’s den to thrash-out an accord on how to handle the playground scuffle and maintain their façade as progressive, caring parents. Relations become frosty, the couples’ true natures bubbling to the surface with increasingly infantile and bitter exchanges.

Despite utilising broadly-drawn clichés as protagonists and the idea of aggression and outright loathing lurking beneath the cloak of social convention being nothing original, Polanski’s film is such a riot it’s difficult to care. Waltz, Winslet and Reilly excel in roles that fit like gloves, but Foster unfortunately hits false notes as fastidious über-liberal Penelope. Presented in real time within the Longstreet’s apartment, there is maintained tension as to just how far this dispute will go, with the always uncomfortable, often hilarious discourse making for an immensely enjoyable 80 minutes. [Chris Fyvie]