Triangle of Sadness

 

    Writer/director Ruben Ostlund has everybody fooled. This film is nominated for Best Picture and was a hit at Cannes winning the Palm d' Or. Sorry but this is much ado about nothing. It pretends to be a satirical look at the pretentious uber-rich but aside from a very few amusing scenes, its social commentary falls flat and rings hollow.

      It starts out well enough with male models auditioning for a photo shoot.  It is there that we meet Carl, a model and boyfriend to Yaya. This vaporous couple constantly argue over money and gender roles. As a social influencer, Yaya is invited for a cruise on a super luxurious yacht where we meet the rest of the cast.

       Everyone is extremely wealthy and obnoxious in their own way.  A terribly gross dinner scene attempts to give them their due in the worst physical way. Later on, a new situation finds role reversal to be the order of the day, an unoriginal concept that appears to have been stolen right from Lina Wertmuller's "Swept Away".

       The film stars Harris Dickinson as Carl, Charlbi Dean as Yaya. It also features Dolly de Leon as Abigail, Zlatko Buric as Dimitry and Iris Berben as Therese. Interesting enough the only American in the cast is Woody Harrelson, who appears to have slept walked from a different film to appear as the captain of the yacht. He adds absolutely nothing to the already shallow story. The whole thing is a big bore wrapped up in a pretty bow.

         The ending will leave you shaking your head wondering did I miss something? I have a better nomination for the film...worst movie of the year.