When two children get in a schoolyard fight, what happens next? In Roman Polanski’s new movie Carnage, their parents all get together for a cordial meeting to decide how to move forward. Only thing is, the parents aren’t as cordial as they’d like to think.

Originally a play (entitled “God of Carnage,” written by Yasmina Reza, who also wrote the screenplay), Carnage is an extremely entertaining look at the complex world of parenting. The movie opens silently on a scene in the park: a group of 11-year-old boys settling their differences the way most 11-year-old boys do: with violence.

Cut now to the house of the Longstreets (Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly), where they are discussing with the Cowans (Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz) the repercussions of their boys’ actions. What begins as a somewhat civilized conversation quickly regresses into a childlike argument, complete with yelling, screaming, and even a little vomit. As more and more time passes, the characters get more and more insane, and their alliances seem to change almost every minute.

All four actors gave incredibly strong performances, making each of their characters uniquely insane. Foster was particularly memorable as the high-strung, frighteningly intense Penelope Lancaster.

Her scuffles with Waltz’s Alan Cowan were full of venom and vigor, making them enticing to watch. Reilly and Winslet’s characters were a little more forgettable, but it was simply a result of the writing, not their acting.

The directing of the film was also quite clever. Though all 80 minutes of the film took place in the Longstreet home—a ritzy high-rise apartment—the movie made use of every part of the apartment, from the cramped kitchen to the overly decorated living room, and even to the hallway outside the door.

The only pitfall of the movie was its lack of realism. The characters were such caricatures that it was often hard to believe that there was any chance that their squabbles could ever actually happen. Nevertheless, it was easy to get caught up in the humor of their fights. The movie could have perhaps been better in play form, as it was originally intended to be performed, but this raucous jaunt into the world of parenting is certainly worth seeing.

Image via AceShowbiz.