A One Mann’s Movies review of “Triangle of Sadness” (2022).
So, another film that is on my BAFTA/Oscar catch-up list that I missed the first time around. “Triangle of Sadness” is up for three BAFTAs (Original Screenplay, Supporting Actress (Dolly De Leon who played Abigail) and Casting) and three Oscars (Original Screenplay, Best Director and – inexplicably – Best Picture.
Is it a satirical film that shows I am not nearly clever enough to really understand it? Or is it an overlong and jumbled mess, and the emporor really doesn’t have any clothes? I’m going to assume the latter.
Bob the Movie Man Rating(s):
Plot Summary:
Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean) are two famous fashion models, given free places as eye-candy on a luxury cruise with the uber-rich. This includes a Russian s**t-dealer Dimitry (Zlatko Buric) and his wife (Sunnyi Melles), Winston (Oliver Ford Davies) and Clementine (Amanda Walker), a posh elderly British arms-dealers and a lonely billionaire (Henrik Dorsin). To add to the mix, the captain (Woody Harrelson) is a Marxist drunkard and the ship is in dangerous waters. What could go wrong?
Certification:
UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC: “Strong language, crude humour, brief sex.”).
Talent:
Starring: Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Zlatko Buric, Sunnyi Melles, Woody Harrelson, Oliver Ford Davies, Amanda Walker, Henrik Dorsin, Vicki Berlin, Dolly De Leon, Alicia Eriksson.
Directed by: Ruben Östlund.
Written by: Ruben Östlund.
Twitter Handle: #triangleofsad.
From left: Charlbi Dean, Dolly De Leon and Vicki Berlin. (Source: BBC Films)
“Triangle of Sadness” Review:
Positives:
- It’s an impressive cast (and the “Casting” BAFTA might be a good bet) with the chameleon-like Harris Dickinson adding another impressive notch on his CV. I was also impressed with Charlbi Dean, a real-life fashion model, who has real screen presence here. The pair make an attractive on-screen couple.
- Some of the vignettes within this movie are very entertaining. The “captain’s dinner” scene in particular, and the aftermath of that are cleverly (if disgustingly) done.
- I’m not immune to the appeal of the class-flipping that happens in the final act, and of Dolly De Leon impressive turn as Abigail – – a figure that has been in the shadows for all of the movie to that point!
Negatives:
- This movie is just short of two and a half hours long, and it feels every minute of it. And that’s because it spends forever in a rambling introduction to Carl and Yaya’s bickering couple. I just wound it back, and it takes just short of 30 minutes to get onto the boat. Some of this is good (like the insight into the world of male-modelling, which Ashton Kutcher has described as being “terrifyingly accurate”). But as a prefix to another 2 hours of movie, I really didn’t need it. Compare and contrast to the introduction of Nicholas Hoult and Anya Taylor-Joy in “The Menu” (another satirical take-down of the uber-rich), where we were in and out in 5 minutes.
- The third act feels like its a completely different movie.
- It’s marketed as a “comedy drama”, but – for me – it singularly failed the six-laughs test. I actually laughed 3 times: once when Carl couldn’t turn out the hotel room lights (something any business traveller can relate to!); during the ‘captain’s dinner’ scene; and when the class-tables were turned in the third act. Yet it got a standing ovations of 8 minutes at Cannes? What did I miss?
- The ending is frustratingly opaque.
Charlbi Dean
Shockingly, I learned while writing this that Charlbi Dean (Yaya in the film) tragically and unexpectedly died after the making of the film. She was just 32 years old, and what a tragedy when this could have been her breakout role. So sad. Details here.
Charlbi Dean at the Cannes premiere of “Triangle of Sadness”. RIP. (Source: cinemadailyus.com)
Summary Thoughts on “Triangle of Sadness”:
This wasn’t really for me. I found it too long and not funny enough. As to why the Academy gave up one of their ten slots for this, I think they must have their heads “in den wolken”.
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Trailer for “Triangle of Sadness”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDvfFIZQIuQ .
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