Recent Reviews of Funny Games by our members
Funny Games review by Shatner's Bassoon
Inferior to the original.
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Though exactly the same film as Michael Haneke's 1997 original (this is an English language remake), this version seems inferior to the original. It's the same great script delivered by a top notch cast, though compared to the original it's far less shocking. In the 10 years since the original "Funny Games" was released we've become far more immune to real life violence whether it be psychological or psychical. In the '97 original the idea of two psychotic youths breaking into a home an terrorising a family was shocking and disturbing to watch and Haneke's clever use of subtle direction made the film all the more uncomfortable for the viewer. This remake however is far less subtle, far more in your face and although still a good film is strangely not as effective as its predecessor.
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Funny Games review by GS
Superbly Acted & Psychologically Distrubing
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Having recently seen a number of movies dealing with the subject of mental and physical torture such as Them, Eden Lake and The Strangers I went into this film not having seen the original foreign version or really knowing anything about it. Surprisingly I really enjoyed it. It’s creepy, realistic and, unlike The Strangers and Eden Lake, unconventional. Unconventional in the fact that it doesn’t resort to the usual techniques of this type horror. There are no ridiculous chase sequences or hid and seek moments to build up the tension. All the tension comes from the realism of the situation, acting and the fact that the torment is, for the most part, psychological and verbal, with most of the physical violence being heard off-screen. This decision not to show the violence or to spend long lingering shots on props or locations makes the film even more uncomfortable to watch at times because disturbingly you find yourself wanting to move the camera yourself. Without giving too much away, just when you start to believe it’s only a movie there are a number of disturbing moments when suddenly you feel more like an observer of real events rather than of fiction. Anybody who’s a fan of the usual scary action movie full of graphic violence will probably hate this film. As one review I read says “the director sets up our expectations, and then refuses to provide the conventional catharsis….or the conventional anything. The acting is superb especially from Naomi Watts who, after a number of brilliant performances, is fast becoming one of my favourite actresses. “A horrifyingly precise account of a family terrorized by two psychopathic young thugs.”
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