Oscar contender or merely an amusing trifle? The jury is still out on Roman Polanski‘s “Carnage” which premiered in August in Venice to mostly good reviews (our own man in Italy said he felt it was more of the latter in his review). The film is making its first North American appearance this weekend at the New York Film Festival where its award season narrative could change if it comes out of screenings with more positive notices.
It seems the determining factor will be the one of the pace, and The New York Times have unveiled the first clip from “Carnage,” displaying a sharp, witty tone that is undeniably entertaining. Starring Jodie Foster, John C. Reilly, Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz, and based on the play by Yasmina Reza, the New York-set story follows two sets of middle-class parents who meet after their children get into a fight at school and try to figure out what happened. In this scene early on in the story, Reilly is hilariously proud to find out his kid has his own gang, while his wife, played by Foster, is somewhat more mortified.
“Carnage” will hit theaters on December 16th, so get an early look by taking a peek at the clip below.
