Well, that was a fun chamber piece and a rather cute and clever comedy of disintegrating manners. Alan and Nancy Cowan (Christoph Waltz and Kate Winslet) come to visit Michael and Penelope Longstreet (John C. Reilly and Jodie Foster). It seems the Cowan's kid Zachary (director Roman Polanski's son Elvis) got into a fight with the Longstreet's son Ethan (Eliot Berger). The fight is shown in the opening scene in a long shot. The audience can't hear what's going on but we do see Zachary strike Ethan with a stick. The rest of the action is entirely in the Longstreet's apartment (and the hallway immediately outside). Seems Ethan had a bit of swelling on his face and two cracked teeth. But rather than being confrontational, all the parents decide to take the civilized route and work it out among themselves. Until tiny slights, constant cell phone interruptions, an upset stomach, and a bit of scotch brings out their inner beasts. It's a joy to watch all four great actors playing off each other. Allegiances shift (at one time instead of couple vs. couple it becomes men vs. women) and the whole thing spirals out of control. Too much fun.
Running Time: 80 minutes
My Total Minutes: 263,917
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