Funny Games

MA15+ (Strong violence)



In 1997, writer-director Michael Haneke (CACHE) made the controversial Austrian thriller, FUNNY GAMES, about two young men who terrorize a family on vacation. A decade later, Haneke was convinced by producer Chris Coen to bring the story to America, filming a nearly word-for-word, shot-for-shot English-language version, even re-creating the locations and sets as obsessively as possible.

Shortly after Ann (Naomi Watts), George (Tim Roth), and Georgie (Devon Gearhart) arrive in their country home, Peter (Brady Corbet), an eerily polite young man dressed all in white, including odd white gloves, appears on the doorstep, asking Ann if he can borrow some eggs for their neighbor. Peter is joined by Paul (Michael Pitt), and the Leopold-and-Loeb-like duo are soon doing horrible things to Ann, George, and Georgie, torturing them both physically and psychologically (nearly all the violence occurs off-screen), for no apparent reason other than they can, referring to the whole thing as a game. And the biggest game of all is whether the family will be alive at the end.

FUNNY GAMES is an intense experience, driven by Haneke's careful manipulation of both the film itself and the audience. He's trying to shake up the viewer, even having Paul address the audience directly several times, with Paul fully aware of what he is doing and how the audience is most likely responding. Though difficult to watch, FUNNY GAMES is ultimately a rewarding and illuminating film, though not for the squeamish.



The views expressed below are those of Cinebuzz members and not of Greater Union Birch Carroll & Coyle Cinemas.
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Funny Games

Rating		Strong violence
Release Date		Thursday, 11 September 2008
Length		1hr 52min
Main Cast		Naomi Watts, Michael Pitt, Tim Roth, Brady Corbet, Devon Gearhart
Movie Director		Michael Haneke
Distributor		Madman Entertainment
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