An intense movie that exposes the resentments, anger and morals of two brother and their respective wives.

A most disturbing film, with America's Original Sin of racialized slavery, now morphed into casual, everyday racism, never far from the surface. The themes of mental illness, family dysfunctionality, and especially inequality (economic, therefore social, therefore political) are also front and center, especially as The Dinner for four people is played out within the structure of a multi-course, excessively expensive meal, the cost of which could possibly house a homeless person for a year. At the movie's core are two brothers with a history of sibling antagonism. Stan has become a successful, respected US Congressman, about to launch his campaign for state governor. Paul has apparently (from flashbacks) lost his job as a high-school history teacher because of his mental illness interfering with his teaching. Two of Stan and Paul's teenage sons have just callously set an elderly, homeless, black woman on fire, as she tried to sleep in an ATM shelter that the boys wanted to use. One teen filmed their act on his smart phone. Stan's adopted, black son unsuccessfully tried to stop his foster-brother and foster-cousin from terrorizing the defenceless woman. He is threatening to expose them. Paul wants both boys to “do the right thing”: confess to the police and face the consequences. The mothers of both boys want to cover up the crime. The problem is unresolved at the end of the film. You, the viewer, are expected to supply your own ending. Will Stan, who has vacillated from his hardline stance towards the end of the evening, and who has given his wife "three days" before going to the police and holding a press conference, agree to hush everything up? Will one of the boys confess? Will the adoptee "spill the beans"? You decide. I know how I think things will turn out….

I READ THE REVIEWS BEFORE WATCHING AND I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER IF I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT GOT THE MESSAGE. I FELT FRUSTRATED IN THE FIRST HALF TOO, BUT I'M GLAD I STUCK IT OUT. TO ME, IT WAS ABOUT LOOKING THE OTHER WAY WHEN IT COMES TO MENTAL HEALTH. TODAY TOO OFTEN THIS DISEASE IS OVER LOOKED, UNTREATED AND MOST IMPORTANTLY UNACCEPTED, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT HITS HOME AND HAS AFFECTED ONE OF OUR OWN. I DON'T MEAN TO OFFEND ANYONE, AND THIS IS SOMETHING I HOPE NONE OF YOU EVER HAVE TO DEAL WITH, BUT IT'S TIME WE STOPPED LOOKING THE OTHER WAY BECAUSE IT NOT ONLY AFFECTS OUR OWN, IT KILLS OUR OWN.

Terrible movie. Managed to watch 10 minutes.

this movie is very disturbing : everyone holds a war-like attitude towards each other. Thus, they have to feel good with expensive dinner that only some people can afford. The only 'awake' people are the students in class and still they had to sit through the B*S*.

This movie was so bad and so boring. The main guy character (paul) is dislikable from the first moment he comes on. Every time he talks it is just complaining non stop about everything. The entire movie you don't even know what the point is, and when it finally gets to it, I have to wonder why the rest was necessary. And it ends without any sort of conclusion. Total waste of time.

tried to watch it,but it is not good.

15 minutes was enough.

Loved the book by Hermen Koch, thought the movie was a disappointment. Steve Coonagh really annoyed me. Felt it did not accurately stay true to book
Even Richard Gere couldn't save it.

An excuse for the producer, director and the actors to wallow in the hate they still labor under for their parents. Don't bother hanging on for the ending--there isn't one.