Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
You might feel unimpressed by this film but it holds some great points, 27 Sep 2008
I've seen the original to this film and I love it. The first thing I really enjoyed about this film, was the director's decision to make Ann and George very ordinary and very vulnerable, and because of Roth's and Watts' brilliant performances it was equally terrifying. Before watching this I had assumed I would be cheering for Tim Roth the entire time - being a huge Reservoir Dogs fan and all - since he was one of the reasons I was attracted to this film in the first place. As it turns out, Naomi Watts was far better in this film than Roth, and showed audiences that she is one of the best actresses working today.
Brady Corbet as the childish and shy Peter seemed at first to be a horrible casting decision. His first scene was fantastic, then for awhile he didn't contribute anything besides being the muscle for Paul's plan. After the movie started to pick up speed however, he really started to shine through, and I wouldn't be surprised if this role lands him a few more parts in the genre. Michael Pitt's performance as the mastermind behind the operation was flawless. The way he manage to stay calm and polite and yet, come off as a complete sociopath was fantastic. Paul repeatedly breaks the 4th wall to talk to the audience; asking for their approval, whether they think they've gone far enough, or sometimes just to smile maniacally. At first I thought it took away from the film, then I came to realize it only added to the message of the film, that we as the audience want to be completely shocked, and the only reason we watch movies like this are to feel sorry for the people involved. Or perhaps we are on the other side of the fence and want to see these people suffer. Whatever your fancy is, I'm sure you'll be thoroughly satisfied with this movie.
It's very obvious throughout this movie that director Haneke wanted to make a film as a social commentary on media violence. The dialogue between characters very much portrayed this concept, and while simple and sparse, it was very realistic and made certain scenes very hard to watch at times. The characters act very rational, and while there are a couple instances where they do something out of character, overall they are believable and as I said, realistic portrayals of both sides to this equation. This film felt much more like an art film than a psychological thriller. Many scenes lasted for upwards of 5 or 6 minutes with no cuts, and there was very little camera movement. Almost every shot was stationary, and either completely symmetrical, or completely out of balance depending on the particular mood of the scene. Also, this film had very little color, as everything was a very neutral tone, making certain items and effects standout more than they normally would have. What little violence there is in the film is almost entirely off screen, and left to the viewer's imagination. This movie was not made with the intent of grossing out an audience with over the top gore in a horrific situation. It was merely to poke and pry at our minds to see - and possibly to wake us up to - just what we as a society find entertaining.
It's unfortunate that even after being remade many viewers will not have the opportunity to see this. Then again, a film like this never does very well at the box office, so maybe it's for the best that it's being released on video for easy admission. Chances are there's enough people out there in the horror community who've been watching this just as closely as I have, and will pick it up instantly. Funny Games is a great psychological thriller, but it is also a fantastic artistic message given to us in the form of a horror film. It's one of those movies the audience can really get into, on more than one level. I don't live in upper class suburbia, but I can appreciate how terrified a family would be in a situation like this. Part of its charm is how it makes you think, and will definitely stick with you long after the credits have rolled. Along with the original this is one of the most chilling and disturbing pictures I've ever had the experience of viewing I hope you feel the same way too.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Hold onto your eggs!, 23 Feb 2009
Ostensibly this is the theme of Funny Games: to question our desire to witness exploitative violence on screen. If so the movie succeeds, but only partially. Haneke attempts to make us complicit in the violence; to accuse us of a bloodlust by proxy, but by producing a very slick film that bludgeons us with the very thing we're supposed to feel guilty about it's difficult to avoid the suspicion that Haneke himself is keen to fuel this lust. That's not to say there's anything wrong with such an agenda. It's not a comfortable place to visit, our darker side, but movies offer one method of safely exorcising some of our crueler impulses. Ultimately, despite the tricksiness and clever manipulation, Funny Games feels just a tad disingenuous ... or maybe it's simply mischievous.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Massively pretentious and annoying., 30 Jan 2009
Two youths, meant to be sinister but looking more like Harry Enfield comedy teenagers, terrorise a family too slow on the uptake to see what we the rest of us knew from the off.
Never saw the original and never will after suffering through this dumb remake. When watching a film, the first requirement is to suspend disbelief, i.e., to forget that there are cameras and loads of production people outside the shot. So it hardly helps that, in this film, one of the characters keeps making pointless asides to the camera. At another point, he grabs the TV remote and winds back the action around him. No doubt the director wants you to see this as smart and stylish but it actually comes across as a stupid, unnecessary and jarring reminder that you are just watching a bunch of actors in a very mediocre movie. Silly beyond words.
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