PREMISE
A fashion model celebrity couple is invited to join a luxury yacht party for the ultra-rich… and then things begin to go terribly wrong.
THE GOOD STUFF
THE 2ND ACT- The second chapter of this film details an ill-fated party on a massive yacht. The story from here is on a mission to show how the snobbish elites that we’ve been introduced to in the first chapter (more on that later) will stop at nothing to maintain their snobbery, even to their physical detriment.
Examples: Why would someone bring a baby to a massive yacht party? Why would someone try and fight sea sickness by consuming champagne and caviar? Why attend the party if the tide has the boat itself tilted? Why would an elitist dinner party on a fancy yacht continue to occur even though a tropical storm is CURRENTLY HITTING THE BOAT?
Well, if you’ve worked in the service industry in a city like Los Angeles for too long, you already know the answer: Because snobs got to stay snobbin’ come hell or high water. And this movie beautifully brings both the hell AND the high water to these snobs.
THE 3RD ACT- The third act of this film is where things get deep. It’s the part of the movie that asks what would happen if the excessive wealth that some people depend upon was taken away instantaneously. How deep can one be into a life of excess to not be able to do simple everyday tasks? To what extent do your humanity and social skills change? These questions are presented in a very comedically cynical way and really stick the landing by the time the credits roll.
DOLLY DE LEON- If there were Justice in this world, Dolly De Leon would be an absolute lock for an Oscar nomination. Though she really doesn’t show up until the third act of a two-and-a-half-hour film, she, in fact, owns the third act in a very commanding way.
One could say that if this particular performance weren’t as good as it is, this film would not have been able to pull off the third act as well as it does. She is absolutely amazing.
WOODY HARRELSON- I’ve often referred to Harrelson as the parmesan cheese of cinema. He is the thing that you can put on any cinematic dish and have it taste that much better. Harrelson’s true gift is nailing characters with such little screen time and yet making such an impact both in the story and through his performance. His performance as the anarchistic captain of the Ill-fated yacht party is the audience’s voice up to that point in the film, and he is a perfect carnival barker for the madness that ensues.
THE BAD STUFF
HARRIS DICKINSON- I’m really trying with Harris Dickinson. He’s not bad. That much, I can say. But there is something to say about screen presence. It’s hard to describe, but Dickinson doesn’t have it. Actors like Dickinson have always been fascinating to me. It’s not enough to be good-looking and in shape; you must be compelling on screen. And everything I’ve seen Dickinson in, he is by far the least exciting thing on screen, which is very much the case here. He’s supposed to be the film’s main character, for all intents and purposes. His character is highlighted heavily in the first act. This brings me to…
THE 1ST ACT- The film’s first act is pretty much a display of how high-level elite snobbery looks today—the social awkwardness of the mega-rich. The emotional immaturity of the mega-beautiful and the all-around unrealistic judgment and stubbornness make them all but detestable when put on display. Though that sounds promising and interesting, it is a chore to get through.
The first act of this film sets up many character traits that get addressed later on in the movie and does so thoroughly, so you can’t skip it. I will say that it is a laborious 25 minutes or so with scenes that go way too long. Dickinson’s character is the front and center of the first act, which wasn’t the right move.
THE UGLY STUFF
Honestly nothing.
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Triangle of sadness is a near-perfect pitch-black comedy. The type of which might not be able to be made in this country and will more likely be very divisive. Usually, I am very hot and cold when it comes to the winners of the Golden Palm at the Cannes film festival. However, there’s a good argument to be made that very few people are making satire or black comedies as well as Ruben Östlund.
If parasite was the movie that took a sledgehammer to the image of elitism, then triangle of sadness is the 15,000-pound wrecking Ball that ultimately turns it into rubble. If I were a billionaire…I’m sure I’d feel personally attacked by this film. But I’m not. So this film gave me great joy.
TRIANGLE OF SADNESS is in theaters now.