TRIANGLE OF SADNESS
2022 | Dir. Ruben Östlund | 147 Minutes
"I think it's un-sexy to talk about money."
Fashion models Carl and Yaya take a cruise on a luxury yacht, rubbing shoulders with the rich and powerful. However, things take a severe turn for the worse after the crew fulfills a series of ill-advised demands from their wealthy guests. Shipwrecked on a remote island, the couple soon finds that the things they value can shift radically based on circumstance.
Writer/director Ruben Östlund's Triangle of Sadness is a brusque satirical takedown of wealth and influence, concepts invented by society that give certain privileged groups of people unjustified power over others. The narrative is neatly divided into three sections: the first explores the absurdity of traditional gender roles; the second presents the injustices big and small that the working class is subjected to at the whims of the wealthy; while the third flips these dynamics with humorous results. Though despite delivering some incredibly funny moments, the film is somewhat off-putting in its bleakness and cynicism without making a single illuminating point. Östlund's characters speak in an amusing matter-of-fact tone that sounds true to life, and the situation of various hierarchies ruling the patrons and service staff of a luxury cruise completely inverting after a shipwreck is ingenious, but the feature doesn't say anything about the nature of power structures the audience doesn't already know, nor does it capitalize on the situation's potential for bigger comedy with the exception of one extended sequence featuring an abundance of gross-out humor.
In fitting with Östlund's sensibilities, the visual aesthetic of Triangle of Sadness is pleasing but unassuming, as if purposefully avoiding to call too much attention to itself. The second act on the superyacht is presented flatly, without much discernable style, but the feature truly comes to life when the projectile vomit literally hits the deck in arguably the funniest set piece of the picture. The remainder of the film set on the island is far more visually appealing, capitalizing on the exotic beach and jungle settings gorgeously photographed. The juxtaposition of production design between the two main settings works quite well.
Harris Dickinson is fine but somewhat unremarkable as the deeply insecure male model Carl. Conversely, Charlbi Dean is captivating and incredibly funny as Carl's far more successful partner Yaya, convincingly exuding indignation once her and Carl's roles are essentially flipped. Giving the very best performance of the film, Dolly de Leon is easy to root for as service worker turned low-key tyrant Abigail. The ensemble cast also features Zlatko Burić as proud "shit-peddling" Russian oligarch Dimitry, Iris Berben as hapless stroke survivor trophy wife Therese, Vicki Berlin as insufferable Type A staff manager Paula, Henrik Dorsin as socially pathetic tech mogul Jarmo, and Jean-Christophe Folly as opportunistic pirate Nelson. Woody Harrelson appears briefly as the depressed socialist captain of the yacht.
With a smart and engaging premise, Triangle of Sadness delivers an entertaining allegory that calls attention to the artificiality of human constructs that create inequity. However, some may find the film's brutal satire more mean-spirited than profound. While the dialogue is sharp, and the comedic situation the picture presents is clever, the social commentary it provides doesn't quite make a unique or particularly insightful point regarding society's problems, it merely preaches to the choir.
FRAGMENTS
- The French title of the film is Sans Filtre, "No Filter" in English
- The film premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival where it received an 8-minute standing ovation
- Tragically, Charlbi Dean suddenly passed away shortly after the film was released
- Zlatko Burić is also excellent in Nicolas Winding Refn's Pusher Trilogy
