Alamo Winchester Film Club #989: Ruben Östlund's TRIANGLE OF SADNESS [2022]

Schedule

Wed Nov 16 2022 at 07:00 pm to 10:00 pm

Location

Alamo Drafthouse Winchester | Winchester, VA

A WICKEDLY FUNNY DRAFTHOUSE RECOMMENDS FROM RUBEN ÖSTLUND
Our second Drafthouse Recommends of 2022 is a bit like a devilish and pitch black version of Gilligan’s Island – except the tiny ship is a $250 million luxury yacht, the millionaire and his wife are Russian fertilizer tycoons (and billionaires), and the coconut radios are swapped for bodily fluids. A lot of bodily fluids. Director Ruben Östlund (FORCE MAJEURE, THE SQUARE) proves yet again that he is the preeminent satirist of our time with his latest razor-sharp, wildly funny, and Palme d’Or-winning commentary, TRIANGLE OF SADNESS.
What starts out as a masterful exercise in cringe comedy moves languidly from one awkward situation to the next, making you laugh and squirm in your seat in equal measure. There’s a giddiness to the way it revels in the despicable nature of its vapid characters, which makes the inevitable disaster all that much more delicious. Things go off the rails quickly and in spectacular fashion, leading to a clever and surprising third act that’s guaranteed to elicit some belly laughs.
We think it’s one of the best movies of the year, and here’s three reasons why we think you will too.

RUBEN ÖSTLUND IS THE SATIRIST WE NEED
The cinematic hat trick that writer/director Ruben Östlund has managed to pull off with FORCE MAJEURE, THE SQUARE, and TRIANGLE OF SADNESS is nothing short of masterful. With TRIANGLE, the Swedish filmmaker earned his second Palme d’Or win, rarified air reserved for masters like Coppola, Haneke, and Loach. Here Östlund has honed his skills to a razor’s edge for satire that cuts deep into class and gender dynamics and only sharpens as the film hurtles toward its inevitable conclusion. He holds an honest, uncomfortable, and fairly dismal mirror up to society, and the astounding thing about it is just how damn fun it all is. The vapid influencer couple arguing over the dinner bill. The capitalist Russian fertilizer tycoon and the socialist American boat captain swapping quips as a $200 million yacht falls apart around them. It all feels fresh, vital, profound, and above all, hysterically funny.

ABSURDIST, THOUGHTFUL, CRINGE-WORTHY COMEDY
We’re convinced that Ruben Östlund must be some kind of Swedish trickster god, spinning plates to the horrified delight of his audience. He capers about, letting some wobble and come dangerously close to toppling as we wince and squirm in our seats, only to right them again, offering a temporary reprieve from the tension. And then he knocks them over on purpose. It’s this mix of cringe-inducing and laugh-out-loud comedy that keeps you on your toes in the best kind of way. It evokes Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Rehearsal, only set in the reality TV world of Below Deck. Östlund elevates awkward conversations to an art form, mixing narrative and documentary sensibilities for thoughtful, hilarious comedy that will make you want to cover your eyes and squeal with amused delight.

A WILD ENSEMBLE CAST
Drawing from the upstairs/downstairs tradition of class comedies, Östlund has pulled together a sprawling group of characters that feel like outlandish caricatures at one moment, and real, lived-in people at the next. Their interactions dive beyond the superficial while being specifically about appearances and power dynamics, bolstered by performances that lend sincerity to all of the absurdity. From Harris Dickinson’s insecure model boyfriend who just wants everything to be even, to Woody Harrelson’s alcoholic and apathetically unhinged captain, to Dolly De Leon’s hilariously fed up and deadpan maid, to Charlbi Dean’s self-absorbed influencer searching for a soul, every member of the cast is pitch perfect and turning in career-best performances.
Tickets to this screening are $11.
LETTERBOXD: https://letterboxd.com/film/triangle-of-sadness/
TRAILER:

TICKETS: https://drafthouse.com/winchester/event/film-club-triangle-of-sadness-2

Where is it happening?

Alamo Drafthouse Winchester, 181 Kernstown Commons Blvd, Winchester, United States

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