Triangle of Sadness

Der einzige Ort, wo der Sozialismus funktioniert, ist die Hölle – und dort braucht man ihn nicht. Eine satirische Ode an die unvermeidbare Ungleichheit in der Gesellschaft. Das Gleichgewicht ist eine Utopie. Das Abendessen mit Verkostung aus The Square, das zu einem kolossalen Konzert der Absurdität auf einer Erlebnis-Luxusyacht wird, übertrifft – was die Unterhaltsamkeit angeht – alles, was man im Genre der Komödie in den letzten Jahren gesehen hat. Dabei ist es keine typische Komödie. Die harten Aufpralle der schwankenden Kamera haben mir auch gefallen. Wenn man mit einem Film etwas sagen möchte, darf man das Publikum wiederholt daran erinnern, dass die Form nur ein Mittel ist. Das glamouröse Zubehör der Teilnehmer*innen dieser großen Schifffahrt ist auch überflüssig… Einen fünften Stern gebe ich dem Film nicht – das letzte "Insel-Drittel" ist nicht so witzig und seine Szenen haben nicht so effektvolle Pointen wie in dem "Schiff-Teil". Das Ende ist aber famos! (11.07.2022)

For me, on level with Parasite, and hands down the best film of this year’s KVIFF and quite likely one of the best films of the year. Sound social criticism with a stimulating, original script and wrapped in a very audience-friendly and entertaining package. Bursts of laughter assured, as well as amused disgust in the brilliantly staged captain's dinner scene, and a nicely ambiguous ending. (56th KVIFF) (10.07.2022)

Ruben Östlund delivers a wry satire about contemporary society and people who are not prepared to lose their social status. But it is not intellectual onanism, it is an extremely entertaining and witty comedy that doesn’t take anything sacred, and apart from the great cast, original ideas and clever dialogues, it offers at least one scene that will go down in film history for its absurdity and escalation. One of the best films of the year. (20.09.2022)

Östlunds Ausverkauf mit einer ausgezeichneten Fäkalszene und viel Populismus, der niemanden beleidigt. In dieser Hinsicht ist der schwedische Händler mit Konfektionssatire der Beste auf der Welt. Als Filmemacher scheint er jedoch leider seine besten Jahre hinter sich zu haben. Schauen Sie sich Play - Nur ein Spiel und Höhere Gewalt an. (02.01.2023)

A satire that refuses to be simple or one-sided. Thanks to that, it is surprisingly accommodating of the audience and anyone with even a minimally open mind can pick up on the winks, nudges, and jabs. And yet it could really have been just a bit more balanced. While for many the captain's dinner was the highlight, I far more greatly enjoyed exploring the individual vanities and snobs, as well as the unpredictable, slow, but daring final act. After all, the dinner is the scene everyone remembers because of its accessibility, but it's that very overcooked quality that harms it. It does show how difficult moments are inevitable for everyone in the world, but there are too many of these instances. I picked up on the metaphor of wallowing in one's own bodily fluids the first time around; I didn't need it repeated so many times. Triangle of Sadness is not easy to recommend because its unnecessary length can be a turnoff for a lot of people, but the question "How would I behave in such a situation?" keeps popping up and every time it sets off a whirlwind of questions, which are not easy to answer even for yourself. (15.10.2022)

Östlund’s take on Animal Farm is a wonderfully biting and sardonic portrait of our society, which likes to talk about equality, but does nothing to promote it. Triangle of Sadness stylistically straddles the delicate line between the refined sophistication and complexity of Parasite and the delightfully carnivalesque and cheekily incorrect shallowness of Troma Entertainment’s social caricatures like Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead and Shakespeare’s Sh*tstorm. Thanks to this, it also remains uniquely universally accessible and, at the same time, so multi-layered that each viewer will find in it a different character in whom they will see a reflection of themselves and their position in society, which is hopeless and desperately undignified, despite momentary illusions or supposed status. Östlund isn’t afraid to weave in the absurdity of today’s world of the young and aware as well as the old and secure, but he doesn’t neglect those in between, who keep the whole spoiled, civilisational circus going. With savage laughter, he lets the viewers enjoy beautifully served nuggets that stimulate our inner anger and maliciousness in order to dip us in the bile and show us the truly warped nature of gender roles and the social hierarchy of excessive capitalism. ___ PS: The icing on the cake in the film’s excellent cast is not Woody Harrelson, but Zlatko Buric, who hasn’t had such space and such a great role perhaps since the phenomenal Pusher 3. ___ PS2: I very much hope that the film will be distributed to multiplexes, because after watching it you will want to walk among luxury shops, where models promoting meaningless status symbols look at you from the display windows with sullen faces. (18.05.2022)

I understand that in a time when comic book adaptations and epic fantasy dominate the film landscape, Triangle of Sadness represents a sympathetic civilian deviation for a more adult audience. On the other hand, it is not an exceptional piece, let alone film of the year. After a promising start, where Östlund takes shots at the superficial world of modeling (I know, it's an easy target, but the hits are accurate), with each subsequent chapter it becomes increasingly annoyingly didactic. Not to mention that the middle part on the boat with the puking scene is somewhat funny, but it is also somewhat cheap humor that could also appear in undemanding Italian comedies from the 70s. I have higher expectations for satire. In my opinion, the casting is also problematic. Woody Harrelson functions as expected, Harris Dickinson delivers, and Vicki Berlin in the smaller role of the chief stewardess is interesting. Unfortunately, that exhausts my positive feelings about the ensemble. With all due respect to the prematurely deceased Charlbi Dean, she was merely a model cast in a film role, and I can think of a dozen actresses who, besides a glamorous face, could deliver acting performances two or three levels better. Dolly De Leon in her variation of the Rat King completely missed the mark, and Henrik Dorsin is forgettable. I will give it a weak four-star rating, but there is something missing here. The TV series The White Lotus was able to tell a similar story with considerably better results, and it's not just because of the larger space that a series offers. Overall impression: 70%. (18.11.2022)

A cynical satire that cuts to the heart. Östlund shuffles the demons of today's society in an incredible way, dealing them out like cards to the each protagonist, but , above all, he entertains and is full of wit even in the most tense moments. The relatively little-known ensemble cast performs the best this year has to offer. Whether it's the king of shit Zlatko Burić, the capitalist Marxist Woody Harrelson or the downright modern couple Harris Dickinson and Charlbi Dean (God rest her soul). Taking away people's social status and shuffling the cards of importance is especially refreshing to watch these days. The film of the year will probably remain Top Gun: Maverick, but Triangle of Sadness is a close second, at least for me. It could even get an Oscar for Best Picture, it meets all the necessary requirements, though I’m not sure if any of the characters was non-binary, maybe the one that couldn’t speak... (24.12.2022)

A first-class social satire that takes on high society, influencers, models and the like in a subtle and sometimes wholesomely irreverent way. An alternative to Tarantino's masterfully pitched scenes, only without a splatter finale, although there are still various liquids splashing all over the place in the middle of the film. It's a shame that the most effective moments aren't distributed steadily, the second half is considerably less compact, not as entertaining, and basically you are only waiting for the finale. But the first half is so refreshing and so rounded in what it deals with that it is impossible not to admire it. A showcase of the inventive creativity of the makers of this low budget gem. (28.02.2023)

Ruben Östlund bringt eine ausgezeichnete soziale Satire in einer unendlich unterhaltsamen und manchmal explosiv komischen Form, die wie drei Filme auf einmal zu sein scheint. Der Mittelpunkt dieses markanten Werkes ist natürlich der buchstäbliche Shitstorm, der mitten in der Handlung stattfindet und fast so wirkt, als käme er direkt aus der Produktion des Troma-Studios und dann in die internationalen Gewässer der A-Kinematografie überging. Es wird kein Film für jedermann sein, aber es handelt sich zweifellos um die markanteste Attraktion des diesjährigen Festivals in Karlsbad und zweifellos auch eine der größten filmischen Ereignisse dieses Jahres. Wenn es seine Premiere im Inland hat, sollte man es unbedingt in seinen Kalender eintragen! (09.07.2022)

Es ist sehr wahrscheinlich, dass Triangle of Sadness unter den Nominierungen für den Oscar/BAFTA/Golden Globe usw. sein wird, denn Östlunds Film wird das Publikum (und auch die Akademiker) sicher nicht kalt lassen. Von den drei Akten - dem Intro, der Kreuzfahrt und der Insel - hat mich der mittlere Akt am meisten interessiert: Wo sonst sieht man die "schicke" Elite, die bei einem Sturm auf See plötzlich anfängt, sich herumzuwälzen und in ihrer eigenen Kotze und Scheiße zu ertrinken? Die allgegenwärtige Satire auf Kosten der Reichen und Wohlhabenden wird das Zwerchfell (und vielleicht sogar den Magen) vieler Zuschauer kitzeln. Den ersten und dritten Teil fand ich etwas wortreich, aber mit dem offenen Ende war ich zufrieden. Gleichzeitig kann die Inselsequenz den Vergleich mit Herr der Fliegen nicht verleugnen. Es war interessant, das Verhalten der wirklich unterschiedlichen Charaktere und ihre Entwicklung infolge unerwarteter Ereignisse zu beobachten (auf einer scheinbar verlassenen Insel hat Geld praktisch keinen Wert) - in dieser Hinsicht erinnerte mich der Film an Parasite. Eine akademisch inszenierte, aber gleichzeitig publikumswirksame Show satirischer Absurdität! Bessere vier Sterne!" P. S. Während des Films verlagerte sich Iris Berbens Lähmung von einem Arm auf den anderen, oder irre ich mich? (11.12.2022)

Satire schmatire, I'd have to be more rigorous if I saw the film as merely an attempt to aptly poke fun at late capitalism, because making fun of influencers, models, trophy wives, old rich people, hypocritical leftists, or the devout precariat strikes me as the biggest and fattest target in this whole earthly disco. But what I appreciate about Östlund's latest here is his brashness. It reminded me of the delightful first decade of the 21st century, when teen comedies invaded cinemas and homes. They were always based on recycled archetypal figures whose characteristics and stereotypes were constantly reflected in rather crude jokes. These films mercilessly attacked the idiocy of adolescence, and yet teenagers projected themselves into them and accepted the set roles depicted in the high school hierarchy. Not to mention the key piece of every teen comedy, its climax with some innovative fecal or otherwise disgusting scene that made everyone give an obligatory cringe and laugh at the same time. And then, after finishing every one of those comedies, my classmates and I would discuss who was the class Stiffler and who was the class Finch, with everyone wanting to be present so they wouldn’t come out the worst from the assignment of roles. Which is sort of the equivalent of the bourgeoisie in Cannes being able to squeal until their yachts are shaking in the harbor after a movie that makes a sort of merciless joke out of them. But this acknowledgment of the top 1% that someone is perceptive and capable of making mischievous fun of them is actually, in the current social climate, something of a declaration of love towards them and, as in The Tourist, the multitude of themes hinted at here will ultimately offer nothing but zen nihilism and a bottle of hard stuff as a solution. (13.10.2022)

Der Filmabend mit Ruben Östlund endete mit seinem jüngsten Werk. Es hat mich ein wenig enttäuscht. Es überrascht mich nicht, dass es in den USA gut ankam, da ich darin eine leichte Anbiederung und eine Abkehr von der wahren europäischen kreativen Freiheit des Films verspüre, der in Schwedisch oder Norwegisch in einer verwandten Koproduktion gedreht wurde. Außerdem kann ich keine Szenen mit Erbrechen ertragen und in diesem Fall grenzten sie bereits an Ekelhaftigkeit. Das Thema ist natürlich wie immer interessant und künstlerisch umgesetzt, aber die Umsetzung gefiel mir nicht so gut wie seine früheren Werke. Zum Schluss kommt sein Debüt, damit ich zu seinen Wurzeln zurückkehren kann. (02.12.2023)

A razor-sharp satire that's both wonderfully funny and, for most of its running time, riveting in a way you wouldn't expect. The balance between unashamed sociological probing into the upper echelons of society and cynical mockery of the privileged classes is simply navigated here with absolute bravura. Polished dialogue with divine punchlines and unbelievable "comedic" timing in the moments when everything goes to shit. The highlight of this year's Karlovy Vary Film Festival. [95%] [KVIFF 2022] (07.07.2022)

I don't blame the people who are quite vocal about not liking this film. It is not for nothing that we say He who smelt it, dealt it. Swedish director Robert Östlund has been breaking social facades for a long time, and here he has done a great job. His movie The Triangle of Sadness, which is full of sarcastic humor and brilliantly constructed situations, basically pokes fun at all of us, even though he's mainly taking a swipe at the top ten thousand. With the extensive vomiting scene on the boat, he then openly points out that the whole Western world is up to its neck in this shit. The slightly ambiguous ending leaves the audience enough room for their own interpretation and identification with the work. (85%) (30.04.2023)

Triangle of Sadness is definitely one of the most notable films of 2022. It can be divided into three parts, which are very different, but seamlessly linked and form a complex and harmonious whole. We first meet the model Carl and his influencer girlfriend Yaya at dinner, or rather at the end of a dinner, when the bill is due. Thanks to this scene, we can get an initial picture of the dynamics of this couple (who has the upper hand and who is manipulating whom), but it also opens up the topic of communication, which is of course absolutely crucial to the functioning of a relationship. The second part takes place on a luxury cruise ship. Here, too, we gradually get to know the supporting characters, be it the deck or cabin crew, and some of the passengers. This part is probably the most memorable, not only because of the terrific Captain's Dinner, which unleashes both an external natural oceanic and internal human digestive storm, but also because of the incredibly interesting characters; here's where the social satire is most marked. In the third part, on the island, the story takes on a completely different dynamic as the clearly defined roles in life are reversed, with money and social status losing all meaning once survival is at stake. The first two parts had much more momentum and were perhaps more entertaining, but the last one is the most thought-provoking and can offer much more than just an interesting and for many contradictory or unclear finale. This film will definitely entertain you, probably even disgust you a little, the interesting dialogues will keep your attention and also make you think. So for me, Triangle of Sadness has everything a quality film should have. (10.03.2023)