Alecc B. on "Funny Games"

Okay, I know this movie is out of most theatres already. I apologize for the late review. I've been kind of busy and I'm playing catch-up now. There will be a couple of other late reviews posted over the next couple of days as well. Now, let's talk about Funny Games!

PLOT

George, Ann, and their young son Georgie were planning on having a nice time at their house by the lake. That all changed when Peter and Paul showed up and held them hostage, all the while playing sadistic games with the family.

ACTING

Naomi Watts is extremely powerful as Ann. She conveys courage and fear simultaneously with such ease that it will be upsetting come Oscar time if she's not nominated. Tim Roth is equally great as George. There is one scene in particular when he is pain, and the two men holding them hostage are discussing something inappropriate. Roth's look of pain on his face slowly transforms into a face of fear. Great stuff! Devon Gearhart is very impressive as young Georgie. There are a couple of scenes that I'm sure were tough on this kid actor but he rocked it. Michael Pitt finally entertained me as Paul! I usually find Pitt to be a one-note actor that always plays morose roles, but here he cut loose and it's the best I've seen from him. Brady Corbet plays his partner in crime, Peter. Corbet is good but I feel it's only because of the exceptional cast surrounding him.

WRITING & DIRECTING

Michael Haneke was the man behind the pen and camera here...once again. I say "once again" because Funny Games is a remake of Haneke's own...Funny Games, made back in 1997. This latest version is said to be a shot-for-shot remake of the original German-language film. I never saw the original, but I did compare both films' trailers and they look identical.

As far as the writing goes, it's very well done. There is plenty of dialogue that leads up to each terrible thing done to this family, and the build-up is nerve-wracking. These two bastards torment Ann and George mostly by just talking to them, and it will get under your skin too.

Haneke knows what he's doing behind the camera. There are tons of long, lingering shots that seriously add to the suspense, instead of boring you to tears like the last five Gus Van Sant films. A lot of the violence is off-screen, which continues my belief that the less you see, the better.

There are a couple of things I didn't agree with. The first was the amount of times Pitt breaks the fourth wall and acknowledges us, the audience. The first time was funny, but that was it. The second thing was the "rewind" sequence. You'll know what I'm talking about once you see it. I understand what Haneke was going for, but I think it could have been handled better.

All in all, this a tough film to get through. Funny Games is a brutal home invasion flick that will not only terrify you, but will leave you thinking about it for a while.

Overall Review: *** stars

Best Line:

Pitt: That's awesome.