Carnage

One day in a New York park, two 11-year-old boys get into a fight. Ethan is hit by Zachary and Ethan’s tooth is knocked out. Later, Zachary’s parents, Alan and Nancy Cowen (played by Christoph Walz and Kate Winslet) visit Ethan’s parents, Penelope and Michael Longstreet (by Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly) to address the issue and apologise on Zachary’s behalf. The meeting is cordially polite and all the expected things are said, but before Alan and Nancy leave the Longstreet’s home, the discussion takes several turns as, due to circumstances, the real characters of each of the four participants is revealed.

This is Roman Polanski’s adaptation of Yasmina Reza’s play “God of Carnage” (French, originally “Le Dieu du carnage”), which presents the interactions of these four individuals within the confines of the Longstreet’s home. It cleverly explores and reveals each person’s views and expectations through a series of insignificant things that happen during the Cowen’s visit. At its heart is the incident between their sons, but issues about their own relationships and life expectations emerge through their conversations, which take the audience through a full range of emotions. Apart from the dialogue between the four, the telephone provides a key distraction and is the source of several contributing conversations – it’s also a welcome relief from the four. It is a little hard going for the audience – I found myself wishing they could just bring the discussion to a conclusion, but inevitably another situation arises to keep them together for a little longer. It is also one of those movies where I am not sure if it is meant to be a comedy or not. It is obviously far more effective as a play, however the performances of each character are marvellous – it’s one of those movies where it looks so much like real life that it seems mundane, but you know the actors have each done a marvellous job. I think it would have been a challenge and a pleasure for them to be involved.

Made in 2011. Directed by Roman Polanski

 

The Brave One

Erica Bain (played by Jodie Foster) is a successful radio journalist in New York City. She is a social commentator and her listeners enjoy her dulcet tones, describing her experiences living in their city. She has a very happy and settled life with her doctor partner David (by Naveen Andrews) and they plan to marry soon. One evening after work, while out walking with their dog in the neighbourhood park they are accosted by a gang of youths. The beating is brutal and the gang absconds with their valuables and their dog. Erica is so badly injured that she doesn’t regain consciousness for several days. Upon awakening, she is heartbroken to learn that David has died and his family has already had his funeral. Inconsolate and in her deep despair she tries to piece her life back together. She endures the agony of the police investigation, conducted by Detectives Mercer (by Terrence Howard) and Vitale (by Nicky Katt) and her boss, Carol (by Mary Steenburgen), concerned for her welfare, suggests she takes time off work to recover physically and emotionally. Erica’s happy and settled life has deserted her and she’s not the person she once was. She becomes a terrified, empty and soul-less insomniac. She wanders the streets but feels alien in this now frightening landscape, where she observes crime after crime.  She decides to take some action on behalf of all the innocent victims of crime in her city ….  

This movie gets better as it goes along. At first it presents as a run-of-the-mill drama about a woman recovering from serious trauma. However, there is something detached about the way Jodie Foster performs as Erica.  She is not quite integrated with the role somehow. I think the storyline is worthwhile and there are some excellent messages here … it’s not a vigilante movie – you won’t see traces of De Niro’s Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver) or Michael Caine’s Harry Brown here, because Erica’s modus operandi is different – although her motivation is similar, to me she has a different objective. Her interraction with Detective Mercer is well done and the ending is very good – not what I was expecting.  Overall, as a movie it’s different – stay with it – once you see the end you will have food for thought.

Made in 2007.  Directed by Neil Jordan

 

Taxi Driver

Travis Bickle (played by Robert De Niro) is an ex-Marine and Vietnam War veteran living in New York City. He’s a loner and since his return from Vietnam he’s become an insomniac, so he takes a job as a taxi driver, thinking he might as well be earning money to be awake all night. As he cruises the city streets all he sees around him is how the world (particulary New York) has declined into ugliness and before him is a parade of scum, what he views as the dregs of citylife and all types of degradation. During the day he goes to seedy porn cinemas to pass the time. Brightness enters his world when he sees the beautiful Betsy (by Cybill Shepherd), a campaign worker for presidential nominee Senator Charles Palatine (by Leonard Harris). Travis becomes obsessed with her after his attempts to woo her fail when he takes her to a porn movie for their first date. He also spots Iris (by Jodie Foster) a very young runaway who is now a street prostitute working for Sport (by Harvey Keitel). Travis feels he needs to rid the world of all its ugliness to make it a safe place for all, particularly these two women. He feels powerless, but is prepared to do whatever it takes to achieve a “cleaner” world, so he forms a plan and builds up himself, his attitude and his armoury so that he can take on the scum that deserve it …

This movie has slow, but deliberate drama. From the moment it begins, Robert De Niro owns the screen and every scene he appears in. The cinematography is carefully and equisitely planned, with score to match, to depict the seething emotions inside Travis and the developing suspense and tension builds within him and he gradually loses his grip on reality. I wanted to see much more of Jodie Foster’s Iris, she was superb. I also would have enjoyed more of Harvey Keitel’s Sport, but this movie was focussed on Bickle – and rightly so. Facial expressions, non-verbal communication in gestures, observations and scenarios are beautifully done and, although this is an early example, the viewer can clearly see Scorcese’s masterful directing at work here. In 1977, De Niro was nominated for an Academy Award (Oscar) as the Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance as Travis Bickle, Jodie Foster achieved a nomination as Best Actress in Supporting Role (and she is marvellously authentic for such a young actress) and the movie itself was nominated with Best Music Score and Best Picture. As an aside, it was beaten by “Rocky”, with other nominees being “All the President’s Men”, “Network” and “Bound for Glory” – all stunning and challenging contenders.

Warning: the film does contain some graphic violence and some could be offended by its depiction of the planning and conduct of these scenes.

Made in 1976. Directed by Martin Scorcese