Film Festivals
Triangle of Sadness | Movie Review | Cannes Film Festival 2022
The last time Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund was in Cannes he went home with the Palme D’or for his satire on the pretentious world of art culture; The Square – that was back in 2017. Now 5 years later he has returned to the croisette to debut his shape-related follow-up; Triangle of Sadness which has caused the most noticeable slice of fanfare in the festival lineup this year. Östlund’s new film received an 8 minute standing ovation after its gala screening – the longest (and loudest) of the festival thus far. Might he be looking at back-to-back Palmes? We shall find out in a few days time.
At first upon hearing the title of this film I presumed the “triangle of sadness” might refer to a love triangle within the narrative. However, as explained in the opening scene when model Carl (Harris Dickinson) is practicing his catwalk for a panel of casting agents. The triangle actually refers to a triangular patch of skin between a persons eyebrows and across the bridge of their nose – which Carl can’t seem to relax. They mutter that the twenty-something might need botox.
Knowing his best days as a model are in the rear view mirror, Carl and his fellow catwalk model girlfriend Yaya (Charlbi Dean) hatch a plan to travel the world as a pair of super-hot influencers. They see their relationship as transactional. A means to boost each others followings so that when their expiration date arrives on their youth, they can live off the earnings and sponsorship deals they acquire off of Instagram. They’re given a free trip aboard a luxury yacht which brings us to act 2 appropriately titled “the yacht”.
That’s as far as I’m going to go into detail regarding the plot because anything else would be spoiling it. But let’s just say from here on out the remainder of the film is wild.
Triangle of Sadness is definitely a less-you-know-the-better prior to going into film but it is a rapturous delight. I laughed so hard it actually hurt. Marketing for this film has been very scarce (and for good reason), what happens on board the yacht can only be described as pandemonium. It’s best to just go into this one and let the madness unfold.
Östlund has always been a filmmaker who likes to make his audience squirm. The Square was jam-packed with deliciously awkward scenes which see typically privileged characters being subjected to uncomfortable circumstances. And he’s brought the same serrated satirical wit to Triangle of Sadness.
There’s so many brilliantly awkward scenes in Triangle. In fact the opening act is simply one long argument between the Carl and Yaya about who should pick up the cheque at a restaurant. It’s a humorous unpacking of societal expectations when it comes to gender roles. And when it comes to the subject of money, class and wealth – Östlund leaves no stone unturned.
There’s numerous pointed little scenes onboard the yacht which highlight the tone-deafness of it’s predominantly white and exceedingly wealthy guests. One snobby passenger isn’t happy with the cleanliness of the ships sails – despite the fact its a motorised yacht which has no sails. There’s a very telling shot where Vicki Berlin’s head steward is getting her team of Aryan crew members to stomp and clap like a New Zealand rugby team. Screaming to “always say yes” in hopes of a receiving a generous tip. Östlund then immediately cuts to the deck below where the ship labourers are cramped into one room and all have brown skin.
With its jabs at the privileged, Triangle of Sadness is in many ways a companion piece to Östlund’s The Square but when it comes to the comedy he’s really cranked it up a notch in Triangle. This time he’s gone more raucous. There’s an entire set piece that revolves around projectile vomiting and explosive diarrhea – which I found thigh-slappingly funny. Normally I find toilet humour a bit cheap but the way that Östlund gradually builds to this audacious set piece is a masterful display of set up and payoff. And because Östlund’s script is so biting and sharp, when it does come to the gross-out stuff it feels truly earned.
Triangle satirises class, white privilege, the fashion and modelling industries, influencer culture, gender politics and the super rich. It’s not saying anything that we don’t already know but it’s very much in on the joke.
There’s a recurring theme in the film that everybody is equal but this sentiment is often hilariously juxtaposed by the ships crazy-rich guests which highlights that while they see themselves as equal – some are clearly more equal than others.
The performances are wickedly fun to watch. Harris Dickinson and Charlbi Dean make a wonderfully vacuous pair of self-absorbed influencers. There’s also fantastic work from many of the ships characters such as Zlatko Buric who plays a Russian philanthropist who made his millions in fertiliser and got dubbed “the king of shit”. He has a marvellous scene with the ships boozed-up captain played brilliantly by Woody Harrelson. And Dolly De Leon also gets a memorable part as the ships toilet manager Abigail.
As for negatives; the film will probably be a bit too long for some at two hours and thirty minutes but Östlund’s screenplay is such a joyous laugh-a-minute ride that it can be easily forgiven. At times its a little self-indulgent and a couple sequences go on a fraction longer than they need too. There’s a few minor scenes that could’ve been taken out easily without the film losing its message – such as a scene about engagement rings and another where a character finds some aftershave.
Triangle of Sadness is tremendous follow-up for Ruben Östluand. It’s off-the-rails but in the most entertaining way imaginable. A probing satire about the elite 1% which will have you howling at the cinema. Make sure to catch it in cinema surrounded by others.
Triangle of Sadness premiered in competition at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Stay up to date with Luke’s coverage from the Cannes Film Festival via Twitter, Youtube, Instagram and TikTok @lukehearfield
Every year at the Cannes Film Festival, there are one or two titles that catch fire and become the talk-of-the-croisette. Ruben Östlund’s raucous Palme d’Or-winning Triangle of Sadness made the most audible amount of noise this year (justifiably so). However, another film was on the tip of everybody’s lips and became a must-see sensation; Aftersun. The feature debut of Scottish filmmaker Charlotte Wells screened as part of the director’s fortnight section and is the little-indie-movie-that-could of not just this year’s Cannes Film Festival but of all of 2022. This special film has captured the hearts of all those who have seen it and will continue to do so for years to come. It’s why we keep coming back to the cinema: to discover exciting new voices and be completely absorbed in a story.
What’s remarkable about Aftersun (besides this being the debut of Wells) is how unremarkable and yet utterly captivating the story is. Set in the nineties, the plot follows a young single dad named Calum (Paul Mescal) who takes his spright 11-year-old daughter Sophie (breakout newcomer Frankie Corio) on a summer holiday to Turkey – and that’s pretty much it. For a film that lacks very little dramatic tension or conflict, Wells keeps you firmly and emotionally engaged throughout the breezy 95-minute runtime.
Sometimes, the little films about everything and nothing ring true the hardest and leave audiences the most moved. Stories that aren’t particularly flashy but manage to capture the beauty within the mundane little moments of life. Aftersun is one of those movies that will leave you weeping in your seat and wanting to call your parents after you’re done. Drawing from her own experiences with her father, Wells explores the dynamics of this paternal relationship without ever resorting to clichéd domestic squabbling that you’d typically expect from a premise like this. Thanks to her honest script and the marvelous performances from her two actors, it is joyful simply watching this father and daughter duo hanging out on vacation, discussing life, romance, drugs, hopes, and dreams with such candor.
Wells crafts a dignified two-person character study that is heartwarming but tinged with sadness. Her screenplay perfectly balances the two perspectives of the relationship allowing you to empathize with both characters. Sophie represents the bliss of youth as well the excitement of pending independence. At the same time, Calum represents the melancholy of youth-gone-by. Given the relatively small age gap between the two of them, Calum is often mistaken for Sophie’s older brother. While Sophie is clearly the light of his life, the drawback to becoming a father so young is that Calum sacrificed most of his own adolescence in the process. In a very touching scene that sees father and daughter sharing one single bedspread, Calum laments to his daughter that life didn’t exactly turn out the way he wanted, but we can see he wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s an absolute lightning-in-a-bottle pairing of actors, quality writing, and beautiful direction. The chemistry they share and the magic they create you can’t fake or teach.
Mescal’s ability to show internal hardship and regret with such subtlety is the reason why he is fast becoming one of the most sought-after talents of his generation. He’s had a tremendous few years with meaty projects such as Normal People, The Lost Daughter and his other hard-hitting drama to premiere at Cannes this year; God’s Creatures. Meanwhile, Frankie Corio is a revelation as Sophie. She effortlessly commands the screen with an emotional maturity well beyond her years. You would not know this was her first time in front of the camera from watching her performance. Memorize her name now, as this girl is undoubtedly destined for stardom.
Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk director Barry Jenkins served as an executive producer on Aftersun, and one can practically feel his steady guiding hand is resting on Wells’ shoulder. Given Jenkins’ propensity for creating films that sizzle with poetic chemistry, you can see he’s passed down sage advice to Wells on how to formulate an atmosphere that’s effulgent enough to bottle. It takes most filmmakers years of trial-and-error to master what Wells has accomplished on a first try. She confidently allows the story to flow naturally with a lazy holiday pace without ever becoming stagnant. Her ability to capture a moment in time is outstanding and extraordinarily impactful. Anybody that’s ever been on a package holiday to Europe will feel an immediate kinship with her story, and those who haven’t will still feel something anyway. Her emphasis on the little details; the arcade games, evening karaoke, doubles games of pool, screaming children at water parks, and eager holiday representatives cringingly trying to get tourists to do the Macarena – it’s all so familiar and makes Aftersun such an emotionally resonant watch. She also takes some risks with her narrative structure which certainly pays off, particularly with the last shot, which is slightly abstract but will bring a tear to your eye, leaving the audience on an achingly bittersweet note. She also uses brief flash-forwards that help recontextualizes the camcorder holiday footage that bookends the entire film.
Aftersun is a little miracle of a film that marks the ceremonious arrival of both filmmaker Charlotte Wells and her young star Frankie Corio. It also features a never-better performance from Paul Mescal, which at the very least should generate some awards-season discussion for the young 26-year-old Irish actor. Thanks to Wells’ wonderfully human characters, astute direction, and stellar performances, Aftersun truly is about the little moments that seem insignificant at the time but become the precious stuff we treasure as adults. It’s the type of film we’re lucky to have in our lives as it offers the viewer a window into the soul of a sensitive and wonderful new storyteller.
Aftersun premiered as part of the directors fortnight at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Aftersun is being distributed by MUBI for theatrical distribution in UK-Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Latin America, Austria, Turkey and India. And A24 has acquired the North American rights. Stay up to date with Luke’s coverage from the Cannes Film Festival via Twitter, Youtube, Instagram and TikTok @lukehearfield
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