Screening Log: 5 December 2011

1. Carnage (2011, Roman Polanski) Pretty stupid material: @gemko’s correct to carp that it’s a Who’s Afraid of Virigina Woolf? where both couples are George and Martha, meaning the bad guy basically shifts to whoever’s talking at the moment. But funny’s funny, and Polanski et al. wisely play it as broad comedy, only once — and briefly — slowing down to make it deeper than a quartet of awesome actors hamming it up. I frequently found myself giggling despite the dumb familiarity of the source, although most of my laughter was coaxed out by Christoph Waltz and his epic disinterest/disdain for everyone/everything. Kate Winslet wins best drunk. By the way, anyone catch the name of that Scotch? Looks like it makes fun things happen. If so, e-mail me (not that I could ever afford it). [critics screening]

2. /Lake of Fire/ (2006, Tony Kaye) Long story. I’ll tell you later. [screener]

3. The “Nights in White Satin” sequence from /House of Pleasures*/ (2011, Bertrand Bonnelllo). Ye gods. [screener]

* Might as well get use to calling it by its inane American title.