Triangle of Sadness (2022) - 6/10
Every once in a while, I come across movies that have a strong reputation but that I just can’t connect with. Triangle of Sadness had a very successful festival run, got a slew of award nominations, and had a sizable box office return that doubled its budget. All of these are typically markers of a very strong film, but this one just felt like a disappointment. That’s not to say that I didn’t like some aspects of the film, but it feels like its ambition or potential wasn’t fully met.
1. Acting
This is an incredibly eclectic cast of actors, with almost everyone hailing from different countries and professional backgrounds. That said, there aren’t a ton of standout performances apart from Filipino actor Dolly de Leon, who manages to dig a little deeper than her castmates.
Then again, this is a satirical black comedy that, by design, is a genre often marked by straight performances and a lack of emoting in response to exceptional circumstances.
2. Cinematography
It’s been a bit of time between me watching the film and writing this review, so I may be forgetting some of the finer points. However, I don’t recall anything particularly great about the cinematography. Honestly, this may be intentional. The film touches quite a bit on themes related to social media and the “fakeness” of our world. So for every shot that’s visually appealing, there’s an undercurrent of blasé detachment lurking beneath.
One thing I did note, though, was the manner in which they filmed the storm scene. The off-kilter angles and movement really help sell the topsy-turvy motion that the boat—and, more importantly, its passengers—are experiencing. There was also some brief use of night vision and a great shot lit by an emergency flare that were visually compelling.
3. Production/Costume Design
Given its independent nature, I was surprised to find that the film actually had a fairly modest budget of about $16 million. That’s not a ton of money, but certainly higher than what most festival films get to work with. However, it feels like a lot of that money likely went into renting the various real-world assets, including the superyacht Christina O, because the rest of the film feels a bit shoestring at times.
Definitely at least one special shout-out, though: the storm scene was truly revolting and quite visceral. The chaos of vomit, diarrhea, and other disgusting accoutrements was really well executed.
4. Writing
On the surface, the film meanders a bit as it divides itself into three equal parts: Carl & Yaya, The Yacht, and The Island. Each part is fine, though not overly interesting. However, this film—in both subtle and not-so-subtle ways—has much more to say than its plot suggests. And while it touches on a variety of subjects in different ways, the film’s true target is classism.
The first section, Carl & Yaya, mostly focuses on gender roles and power dynamics. The film opens with Carl taking part in a casting call for male models. He, and everyone else in the call, is competing for their moment. At first, it’s with a film crew and interviewer wandering around the room talking to the models. We then quickly transition into the actual audition where, again, Carl is subservient in a power dynamic with the casting directors who hold his fate in their hands. After the audition, we move to a dinner scene with Yaya and Carl and are launched into a prolonged discussion of gender roles in relationships, as well as a contentious fight about the uneven financial dynamic between them.
As the film moves into the next section, The Yacht, we see similar power dynamics play out in a variety of ways and relationships. The occupants of the ship are divided into a few different classes, but mainly it’s the wealthy guests, the upper-deck stewards/stewardesses, and the below-deck maintenance/janitorial staff. The guests seek to soak up any and all luxuries, including having Nutella airlifted out to the boat in the middle of the ocean. The stewards directly interact with the guests and endeavor to serve their every whim, while the maintenance staff are mostly the unseen and unheard components that keep everything running. This hierarchical structure is far from accidental, and apart from creating opportunities for commentary, it also sets up the dynamics of the film’s final segment.
Before moving on to Act 3, I should mention that the film often dispenses with subtlety, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the spirited conversation between Woody Harrelson’s Thomas and Zlatko Burić’s Dimitry. If you’re uncertain what the point of the movie is, just watch this part—they basically say the quiet part out loud repeatedly while arguing about the merits of communism and capitalism, all while directly quoting Karl Marx.
The final act, The Island, is probably the most biting of the film. It’s basically a big “what if” scenario that contemplates how fragile and artificial accepted power dynamics actually are. The class structure that existed on the yacht is completely inverted, as the guests and stewards have far less to offer once money is taken out of the equation.
These are really just the highlights of the acts. You could spend a lot of time analyzing each character, their relationships, and their place within the class structure. However, in the end, it’s a mostly repetitious affair, with the same dynamics occurring in just slightly different ways over and over. So, while the film certainly has a lot to say, it’s mostly just saying the same thing, and that may weaken the experience for me.
5. Sound Design
As I mentioned, it’s been a minute since I actually watched it, so I can’t recall any particular aspects of the sound design that stood out.
6. Editing
The film does drag a bit at times. The satirical tone is clear in many of the conversations between characters, but its subtlety means that the actual point of many discussions (“capitalism bad”) is drawn out in very roundabout and prolonged ways.
7. Visual Effects
There isn’t a ton of clear CGI outside of a decent wide shot of the ship exploding. However, I’m certain at least some of the vomit effects from the middle section had digital help—and they looked great.
8. Originality or Strength of Adaptation
Despite receiving more critical acclaim and premiering first, TOS seems to have been overshadowed by its 2022 spiritual cousin The Menu. Despite this, I think TOS is more compelling but less entertaining. I guess that’s my way of saying it may not be original in message, but its execution is objectively interesting and well done.
9. Stunt Coordination
Not much to note in the classical sense of stunts.
10. Direction
Ruben Östlund is not the most well-known name for American audiences, but the Swedish director has now had multiple instances of garnering international critical acclaim that have broken through into the zeitgeist. His effort here is strong despite some of my critiques, and he’s an easy go-to for introducing American audiences to foreign films that possess a clear voice.
Legacy / Final Thoughts
I think this is really just a case of “not for me.” I can objectively appreciate this film, especially for its writing, but I can’t imagine wanting to revisit it again or recommend it to many people. Nevertheless, I’m glad that films like this can still get financed with decent budgets and, in turn, be rewarded at the box office.
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