2012 Movies: Carnage

Two pairs of parents hold a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a fight, though as their time together progresses, increasingly childish behavior throws the evening into chaos.

So, I loved this movie. I have to say - it was inspired. I know it was based on a play, and I can totally appreciate that when watching, as the way it's all set out is, basically, one set - so you really get a feel for the claustrophobic elements of the story.

The couples all interacted with each other SO well - I didn't think this would be a laugh out loud kind of film, I figured it would be more of a 'laugh in your head' deal. I was wrong. I laughed out loud so many times, and sure, many of these times weren't when other people laughed, but that was what was so good.

Jodie Foster just unravels mentally throughout the scenes and ends in this glorious drunk wreckage of womanhood. Kate Winslet is just her usual well-played self (though slightly going through the motions on the acting scale...), her character was equally amusing as she starts what will be the disastrous spiral into personal hell. Christoph Waltz is brilliant because he is so snippy and sarcastic and at first you kind of think he's the best of the bunch. He walks and talks and shmoozes and then you see HE starts to fall apart, but he acts as a kind of on-spurer of the whole charade. The icing on the cake for this film though, has to be John C Reilly. His facial expressions alone made me laugh but when he bursts out with his shouts and rants and utter bad-father antics he is at his best.

Each time the couple of Kate and Chris try to leave the apartment of John and Jodie they get pulled back in by some circumstance or another and each time you kind of gasp to yourself that they almost made it out. As the film escalates it really pulls you in.

All in all this film really had me in stitches. I came out really appreciating the way it was made and I'd definitely watch it again, which is always a good sign.

Final verdict:

 

2012 Movies - The Artist

The Artist

Hollywood, 1927: As silent movie star George Valentin wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he sparks with Peppy Miller, a young dancer set for a big break.

What can I say? The Artist... after so much hype... I enjoyed it. Quite a bit, actually. The film truly is silent - so don't do as the ill-informed and ask for your money back because you "didn't know". It's black and white, and instead of dialogue it's title cards with the lines on. But this isn't every time the characters speak.

Let's start from the top. The story is, luckily, easy to follow. A silent film star, who is quite cocky and famous for what he does is all of a sudden out of favour when the production company want to start making 'talkies' instead. This isn't his niche, and unwilling to change he stands by his genre but with terrible consequences on his life. Simultaneously, a woman launches her career and surpasses his fame, eventually making the films he refuses to make himself. 

Their relationship is what carries the film, because they, at first, flirt and it's apparent they have feelings for one another, but as he career explodes and his fizzles out it all goes quite wrong for them, in many ways.

Like I say, the story is good because you can keep up, the dog, who belongs to the main protagonist, steals the show every shot he's in. You've probably seen or heard of him already though because everyone seems to have fallen in love with him - the new 'eddy' (oh, come on, Fraiser reference... anybody). 

When the characters talk you feel quite clever being able to figure out what they are saying without the use of title cards (which are used sparingly), but I couldn't help but feel confused in parts - as though maybe I should have been able to tell what was being said, but I didn't... was that just me?

Overall, I actually really enjoyed it, yet it did drag a bit, but the ending more than made up for it. I loved the ending. 

Final verdict: