A boy brutalizes his classmate, and their well-educated parents gather at the victim's apartment to make amends in a "civilized" way. Lo and behold, these people are no better than cavemen. The message is loud and clear, and the most despicable character in the beginning (Waltz) turns out to be the most logical one, as we realize the other parents were actually hypocrites who believed in what he publicly practiced. I felt an element of overacting, especially in Foster's performance, as though these actors didn't believe in their lines, and were trying to compensate by abusing their superb acting skills.
Mo says:
I liked it. Seeing inside of those who look so civilized and high-class at first but show such destructive behavior, like finger-pointing, name-calling,swearing and throwing things and eventually makes a bigger mess of Michael and Veronica’s living room than any child ever could ! Another great one-scene ,one-location movie. I can name : Rear window , 12 angry man , panic room , Buried , Who's afraid of virginia wolf ? rope , ...Any other example?
ReplyDeleteMaybe we can say this is a movie that similar to "The Rope" is actually a theater play, or can be handled as a play. No huge set or crazy special effects - just a few characters talking in a room. Some good examples that come to mind are "Glengarry Glenn Ross", "Closer", "Death and the Maiden" (another Polanksy), "A Few Good Men", ...
Delete