Funny Games

Talking about Michael Haneke's 'Funny Games' can get a bit tricky. He made an austrian language version of the film in 1997. I have not seen this version, and the reason is very clear; ten years later, Haneke remade the film for US audiences himself. Yes, a writer/director made a shot for shot remake of his own film. Having said that, reviewing one is pretty much exactly like reviewing the other. I've only seen the US version, but I'm obviously not missing anything. Here are my thoughts on the 2007 version of 'Funny Games.'

The film starts off pretty in a standard way; a family goes to their vacation home for relaxation, but are soon forced to play sadistic "games" by two psychotic yuppies. What may sound like a by-the-books home invasion film is really a darkly comic, extremely disturbing film with an actual message about violence.

The story is quite different from other home invasion movies. The yuppies make their way into the family's home and slowly become more and more aggressive. Their petty acts finally escalate and they end up breaking the husband's leg. The family realizes that the yuppies aren't just pulling a prank, and things get serious. The two psychos have a sit down with the family and make a bet; they bet that the family will be dead in 12 hours, and they force the family to bet the opposite. Let the games begin.

The acting in this movie is outstanding. Naomi Watts and Tim Roth are great as the unfortunate couple put through the wringer. Even Devon Gearhart, who plays their son, does a great job with the little screen time and dialogue he's given. Despite being pretty big stars, I really felt Watts' and Roth's pain, and I found their performances to be all too real. The main attraction for me, though, is Michael Pitt and Brady Corbet as the insane captors. They are well spoken, well dressed young men, and their games are sadistic. The way they interact both with each other and the doomed family creates an uneasy feeling throughout the whole film. It's like nothing I've ever watched before.

The "games" they play are cruel and perfectly staged. Whether it's a game of hot and cold gone bad, or a simple guessing game, they're all twisted and set up with deranged glee by the yuppies. You can tell these guys are just doing it for fun, and that's what makes this film so disturbing. Even when they break the fourth wall (something reserved usually for comedies) it's just as sick as what's happening within the plot. This should be tongue in cheek, but it's the polar opposite.

Not only do the captors play games with the family, but Haneke plays games with the audience as well. Breaking the fourth wall puts us right there in the house, watching these terrible events unfold. We are truly at the mercy of the director, and he doesn't play nice. Another thing Haneke does is hide the violence. Nothing violent actually happens on screen (well nothing real, anyways), and that really makes things interesting. In a movie like this, you're waiting for some kind of payoff, whether it's the demise of the victims or the villains. Haneke never gives us this payoff, making you think of how you watch films. It's a great way to be stylish and disturbing, while getting your message across at the same time.

This film is clever, darkly (and I mean DARKLY) comic, and disturbing with style to spare. Michael Haneke's 'Funny Games' should not be missed. Now, shall we begin?