Triangle Of Sadness (2022) Dir: Ruben Östlund
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Despite a lot of award buzz surrounding this film, I had very little knowledge of what to expect before watching. Directed by Ruben Östlund, this unusual comedy drama attempts to bring the mirror to the face of the culture of capitalism and wealth.
The obscenity of the ultra-rich and the impossible beauty standards of today's society. The film is split into three distinct parts, each focusing on a different stage of the narrative. In every one, the themes of greed, vanity, shallowness and privelege are confronted quite bluntly.
While the messages Östlund was trying to convey certainly came through, it was almost too on the nose, although, I can see why that was done; it suits the satirical nature of the story.
The second part is perhaps the most obvious in conveying its themes of capitalism versus socialism, particularly thanks to two characters, who represent both ideologies very plainly.
At a number of points, there were some good prolonged shots and longer takes, that allowed the audience to be swept along in the story quite effectively.
The key protagonists of the story are played by Harris Dickinson and Charibi Dean Kriek, who appear far more than anyone else in this near-enough ensemble film. Their scenes together are excellently acted out, with their chemistry clear to see on-screen.
Dolly De Leon may not have had anywhere near as much screentime as the two above, but she left a very good impression on me regardless, particularly in the final 15 or so minutes of the film.
Vicki Berlin is another who gave a strong performance. I really liked how she evolved her performance with the development of her character, particularly at the start of the second part.
I'll also give mentions to the other noteworthy cast members; Woody Harrelson, Zlatco Burić, Iris Berben, Henrik Dorsin, Jean-Christophe Folly, Carolina Gynning, Arvin Kananian, Alicia Eriksson and Sunnyi Melles.
Overall, this was a film with a lot going on thematically, maybe too much at times, but, all-in-all, this was an interesting, varied and entertaining comedy drama.
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