Carnage
Directed by Roman Polanski and based on the Yasmina Reza play "Gods of Carnage" which we recently saw in Dublin.
The translation of the original play was done by Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons, The Talking Cure) but this translation by Roman Polanski was slightly different.
A very enjoyable film that speaks volumes on "helicopter" parents and the levels to which some parents involve themselves in their kids lives today.
One eleven year old son has injured the other son in a fight (by hitting him with a stick, causing temporary damage to a tooth and a swollen lip).
The "bully's" parents (Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz) visit the "victim's" parents (Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly) in an effort to appease the situation. Eventually (plays out in real time - only 79 minutes) the adult social veneer of all four of the parents is stripped away and we realize that adults are nothing more than grown children themselves.
A very funny and poignant film...
Highly recommended.
Alps
Set in modern Athens, the title refers to a group (a nurse, a gymnast, a coach, and a paramedic) dedicated to standing in for the recently deceased in an effort to relieve some of the grief associated with their loss (the first 4 sessions are free). Their group is called "Alps" because these mountains can substitute for other mountains but no other can replace them...
Kind of a creepy premise really.
The nurse decides to take a client on by standing in for a couple's recently deceased teenage daughter. Credibility is pushed to the brink for me in believing that someone truly grieving would ever sign up for this service.
The nurse takes things too far by associating too much with the deceased person that she's portraying and loses sense of herself. In a way this is an astute commentary by the writer on the acting profession.
The leader of the Alps kicks her out of the group with an unnecessary violent send off.
I wanted to enjoy this film for its commentary on grief and celebrity culture but I'm not sure this film even has a soul...
