Year of Release: 2022
Director: Ruben Ostlund
Starring: Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Dolly De Leon, Vicki Berlin, Woody Harrelson, Zlatko Buric, Henrik Dorsin, Amanda Walker, Oliver Ford Davies, Iris Berben, Carolina Gynning, Sunnyi Melles, Jean-Christophe Folly, Arvin Kananian
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Amazon Prime
Synopsis and Review
Following his Palm D'Or winning film "The Square" in 2017, writer/director Ruben Ostlund returned to the same festival 5 years later, and won a second Palm (other directors to have won two Palm D'Or awards include Francis Ford Coppola, Bille August, and Emir Kusturica). "Triangle of Sadness" focuses on the story of male model Carl, whom we first encounter in a casting session. We soon witness him having a cringe inducing dinner with his girlfriend, the also model Yaya. Their discussion soon veers towards finances, but above all, about gender dynamics and power. Soon after this episode both Carl and Yaya are enjoying a relaxing break at a luxury yacht. They connect with a series of other guests, including the millionaire Dimitry who is also enjoying a break with his partner Vera, and another elderly couple, Winston and Clementine, who have made their fortune from arms dealing. The crew of the yacht is stoked about serving the guests, because they know a hefty tip is lying ahead for them at the end of the journey. The captain of the vessel in the meantime refuses to get out of his cabin, where he's indulging in various beverages and drugs. He finally agrees to emerge from his hideout for a celebratory dinner, coincidentally during an evening where a lot of bad weather is expected. As the dinner celebration is taking place, a storm erupts, leading to severe turbulence, which results in most guests having issues holding their food down. The yacht eventually capsizes and only a few guests manage to escape alive, to what seems a remote island. As the survivors try to navigate their newfound situation, they soon realize they're depending on Abigail, a woman who was in charge of the toilets at the yacht, but who now provides for their food sources, and even their heat/shelter.
"Triangle of Sadness" is a film where the intellectual exercise of its creator (Mr. Ruben Ostlund) is clearly energized by the message he wants to convey. And the message goes across all directions, including the vapidness of beauty (and influencers), the shallowness of youth, the power play that exists in relationships, the wealth of a few at the expense of many, including the death of millions, and the list goes on. Mr. Ostlund's attempts at creating a microcosms representative of everything that is damaged about modern society is ambitious, and at times successful, sadly this film has a massive issue pertaining to the lack of characters that are actually more than just a simple cliché. And I'm not saying this because of any type of morality aspect that these characters fail to illustrate or demonstrate: regardless of them being amoral or cynical or whatever other quality trait the writer/director chooses for them to embody, they still have to be able to demonstrate motivation, have an arc, something that illustrates who these individuals are besides a limited list of characteristics that summarize their existence. It's a film that has some good points, namely in the third chapter, as Abigail's role takes on a different dimension, and how she as a woman, provider, leverages her newfound power to navigate that group, its dynamics, and even gender roles. It's also a film that has some questionable taste level, namely during the dinner scene at the yacht, which features more than is necessary to be illustrated in any film (one can argue that Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Saló" also crosses many lines, but that film is a line crosser from beginning to end). The cast is very eclectic and creates an interesting tapestry for what this director is intending to communicate. Dolly De Leon and Harris Dickinson give solid performances, and have good support from Vicki Berlin, Zlatko Buric, and Woody Harrelson. The production team is solid, including Fredrik Wenzel's cinematography and Josefin Asberg's production design. It's an interesting film that may not be for everyone's taste, but it's worth watching nonetheless.
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