Ruminations, Musings and Other Stuff…

Movie Review: Funny Games

Directed by: Michael Haneke

Screenplay Written By: Michael Haneke

Released (Limited, US): March 2008

Part sociological experiment, part horror/thriller remake, “Funny Games” is turning out to be at once revered AND equally reviled by critics everywhere. That being said, Mel and I were in line opening weekend to catch it!

Michael Heneke made this film originally in 1997 and, at the time, it was a scathing social commentary on western (read: US) culture and how we’ve been so desensitized by cinematic violence that we simply accept what we see on screen and no longer internalize the insane violence we’ve just witnessed in its full technicolor glory. Our eyes take it in repeatedly, draining our compassion/empathy/wallets, until, when we tune in to the six o’clock news and we do see actual real life violence, it doesn’t effect us nearly as much as it should (or at all).

In short, if you find “Funny Games” playing at an art house somewhere near you, be prepared to be toyed with. Much like the psychopaths toy with the unsuspecting affluent family in the actual movie.

Why? Because my friends: that’s the point.

You see, this film is almost a carbon copy, shot for shot remake of it’s 1997 original (also written and directed by Heneke), it has no character development, no real plot development, no real… well… I guess you’d describe it as a “payoff”. Except for the fact that this entire depicted circumstance, as improbable as it is, could (in some form or capacity) happen to anyone and that the violence on display here is capable of any human being under this kind of control or duress.

So, in short, the joke’s on you.

Yes, you the American movie goer. The one that bought tickets for any of the SAW or HOSTEL movies in the last five years making a franchise out of them, or anyone who can watch or read coverage of a war in the news and eat dinner with your family afterwards. We shouldn’t be able to. But we do for some reason. Here in the US we stomach such violence day after day. Heneke saw this and, for better or worse, decided to slap us around a little bit the only way he knew how; through an English remake of his own film.

So make no mistake: you/we are the target audience of this film.

Here’s the synopsis:

An affluent family goes on vacation to their boat house on the lake. Two young gentlemen/serial killers are making the rounds to all of the home owners on said lake, killing as they go. They are sadistic, they are painfully polite and they take great pleasure in what they do. Much like any action movie enthusiast or horror movie junkie; these boys take some form pleasure in the pain of others. But, and this is where the movie is most effective, all of the pain, all of the sadistic action, for most part, takes place off screen.

I’ll rephrase that. Mostly all of the action that you would normally see full blown on a screen in US cinema today, takes place off-screen, fully out of view of the ticket holder. So yeah, thumbing it’s veritable nose at all of the recent slew of gore-fest/remakes gracing your local cineplexes in the last five years, “Funny Games” offers very little blood, NO entrails and severed limbs to smile absentmindedly at. But please don’t let this fact deaden the gravitas of this film. Make no mistake: this poor family contains a Mother, a Father, a preteen son, and a dog, and (SPOILER ALERT-SPOILER ALERT) there are NO happy endings. Period.

So, I guess it goes without saying, you may not want to take the significant other out for a “nice night” at the movies on this one. In fact, I wouldn’t even see “Funny Games” unless:

1. You love cinema as a whole. No exceptions. The film is wonderfully shot and the acting is incredibly top notch. The excellent Naomi Watts (executive producer no less…) and the always awesome Tim Roth expectedly deliver, but the two psychopaths played by Micheal Pitt and Brad Corbett are just unbelievably chilling. Seriously, you can’t take your eyes off these two. Which is important, and, not to mention, the point.
2. You don’t mind being genuinely disturbed. I’m being honest with you folks, the movie, in it’s entirety, is a hard punch to the gut. Nothing about it could be described remotely as “pleasant”. Unless you are looking at it from a purely technical aspect.
3. You are a witless meathead “torture-porn” addict/moron. To which I wish I was there to see you during the movie scream out loud “this sucks!” only to go home later, drink a six pack, and think any thought that is prefaced with a “wait a minute…”. This film was actually meant for you guys and I hope you buy tickets in droves.

So, okay… if you’ve read this far, you have to be wondering what the payback to seeing a film like this would be. I mean, why on earth would you pay money to sit in the dark for two hours and be disturbed or disgusted by anything?

It’s a good question.

In fact, I’d even go as far to say that it is THE question. And, honestly, either answer, yes or no, is the correct one. It’s a superior film, no doubt. But by not seeing it, you’re making an honest statement, and by seeing it (if anything to see an extremely well done film) you’re making a statement.

I don’t know. Quite literally, it’s the biggest middle finger to mainstream American Cinema goers that I’ve ever seen.

It’s a full on assault; brutal and incredibly honest.

And that’s about the biggest endorsement I could give.

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