Carnages (2002)

Director:

Delphine Gleize

Writer:

Delphine Gleize (writer)

Release Date:

13 November 2002 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

After a bull dies in an arena, its remains are transported throughout Belgium, France, and Spain, where various characters cross its path.

Plot Keywords:

Italian Woman | Italy | Fertility Treatment | Liver Transplant | Actress

Awards:

5 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Chiara Mastroianni	...	Carlotta
Ángela Molina	...	Alicia
Lio	...	Betty
Lucia Sanchez	...	Jeanne
Esther Gorintin	...	Rosie
Marilyne Even	...	Lucie
Clovis Cornillac	...	Alexis
Jacques Gamblin	...	Jacques
Féodor Atkine	...	Paco
Bernard Sens	...	Luc
Pascal Bongard	...	Henri
Raphaëlle Molinier	...	Winnie
Julien Lescarret	...	Victor
Juliette Noureddine	...	Monica
Luc Delhumeau	...	The Deaf Man

Also Known As:

Carnage (International: English title)
Carnages (Spain)

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

France | Spain | Belgium | Switzerland

Language:

French | Spanish | Italian | Polish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | France:U | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | USA:Unrated | UK:15 | Brazil:16 | Italy:VM14

Filming Locations:

Belgium

Company:

Balthazar Productions

Intriguing, well-made and sometimes funny

A movie about various characters in three countries and a dead bull? This could easily be one of those tedious, plotless, arty French films I hate so much. In fact, it isn't. Carnages is an intriguing, well-made and sometimes funny movie, well worth seeing. The storyline centres around the remains of a dead bull, that one way or another turn up in the lives of the main characters, sometimes with dramatic consequences. This alone makes pleasant viewing for superficial moviegoers, but behind the main storyline are many layers the director invites us to explore. One of them is the parent-child relationship. One of the first scenes shows a bullfighter talking about his father, the movie ends with two brothers reunited with their long-lost father. One of them is father of quintuplets, the other lives with his mother. Another theme is the life-death contrast, and no doubt there are others I didn't discover. Feel free to do so yourself. Despite these themes and the various interwoven storylines, the movie isn't hard to view. There are many little jokes and funny situations. When one of the main characters orders eight pizza's for three people, this seems ridiculous. Only later the viewer realizes his pregnant wife was expecting quintuplets at that moment. What makes the movie even more enjoyable are the beautiful shots and the outstanding acting. In this film a shot of a little girl watching a bullfight on TV is an exciting scene. That's a difficult job to accomplish.