Release Year: 2008
Starring: Naomi Watts, Michael Pitt, Tim Roth, Brady Corbet, Devon Gearhart
Directed by: Michael Haneke
Written by: Michael Haneke
IMDB: 6.5 (9,042 votes)
RT: 50% (130 reviews)
Metacritic: 41 (33 reviews)
Funny games is not funny at all. It wasn’t fun either. Actually, it drove me to the edge watching a family got terrorized by somehow charming couple of young men. Although I initially thought that it was a horror movie, it would be more suitable to call it a terror movie. There were no ghosts or monsters involved. No zombies nor vampires, too. The terror instead, came from seemingly harmless and polite two young men, Paul and Peter (Michael Pitt & Brady Corbet).
Throughout the movie these two young men definitely would make the audience feel helpless. The situation was somewhat too unbelievable to happen in real life, but it was somehow very possible. I mean, some strangers asking your help politely, then you help them but ended up being conquered in your own home. Worst thing is, there’s nothing you can do about it except to obey those strangers.
There were no graphical violence in the movie, though. But you can definitely imagine how gruesomely Ann, George, and Georgie got tortured both physically and mentally. At the same time, the audience, I think will also feel mentally tortured.
As for the script, I think it was great. Although it had a very simple plot, but how it was shot was great. Some scenes seemed to be too long, but they were necessary to describe the struggling couple trying to put an end to the whole misery. Well, except for the first scene when Ann and George along with Georgie were on the way towards the vacation house.
Many times the audience were given hope, and just when the hope actually showed up, it was yanked away, making us biting our nails. I believe this was the point of the whole movie, giving the audience the false hope, playing with our emotion, and by the end of the movie, we might be left wondering and asking ourselves: “How could it be possible?” (Well at least I thought so). But yes, everything happened in this movie was definitely feasible. It could happen to any of us.
All of the cast played well and this what made the situation so possible, although too hard to believe. You can definitely see desperation coming from Ann and George, as well as Georgie, and those expressions from Paul and Peter would give you a sense of disbelief that such faces could do such horrible things to some people.
For being a unique movie, I’d give this one an 8.0. But watch out, it could drive you to the edge. By the way, this movie is an American remake of Michael Haneke’s 1997 movie of the same title with completely the same storyline.
Starring: Naomi Watts, Michael Pitt, Tim Roth, Brady Corbet, Devon Gearhart
Directed by: Michael Haneke
Written by: Michael Haneke
IMDB: 6.5 (9,042 votes)
RT: 50% (130 reviews)
Metacritic: 41 (33 reviews)
Funny games is not funny at all. It wasn’t fun either. Actually, it drove me to the edge watching a family got terrorized by somehow charming couple of young men. Although I initially thought that it was a horror movie, it would be more suitable to call it a terror movie. There were no ghosts or monsters involved. No zombies nor vampires, too. The terror instead, came from seemingly harmless and polite two young men, Paul and Peter (Michael Pitt & Brady Corbet).
Throughout the movie these two young men definitely would make the audience feel helpless. The situation was somewhat too unbelievable to happen in real life, but it was somehow very possible. I mean, some strangers asking your help politely, then you help them but ended up being conquered in your own home. Worst thing is, there’s nothing you can do about it except to obey those strangers.
There were no graphical violence in the movie, though. But you can definitely imagine how gruesomely Ann, George, and Georgie got tortured both physically and mentally. At the same time, the audience, I think will also feel mentally tortured.
As for the script, I think it was great. Although it had a very simple plot, but how it was shot was great. Some scenes seemed to be too long, but they were necessary to describe the struggling couple trying to put an end to the whole misery. Well, except for the first scene when Ann and George along with Georgie were on the way towards the vacation house.
Many times the audience were given hope, and just when the hope actually showed up, it was yanked away, making us biting our nails. I believe this was the point of the whole movie, giving the audience the false hope, playing with our emotion, and by the end of the movie, we might be left wondering and asking ourselves: “How could it be possible?” (Well at least I thought so). But yes, everything happened in this movie was definitely feasible. It could happen to any of us.
All of the cast played well and this what made the situation so possible, although too hard to believe. You can definitely see desperation coming from Ann and George, as well as Georgie, and those expressions from Paul and Peter would give you a sense of disbelief that such faces could do such horrible things to some people.
For being a unique movie, I’d give this one an 8.0. But watch out, it could drive you to the edge. By the way, this movie is an American remake of Michael Haneke’s 1997 movie of the same title with completely the same storyline.
1 comments:
Michael Haneke wanted his original film to reach a broader audience, especially America since his inspiration for the film was his fascination with America's desensitized appetite for gore and violent torture.
Unlike the hypocritical "Untraceable" or "The Condemned", this film does exactly what it intends to do. This film gets in your head by giving the pretense that you will witness all the horrible acts, and then turns around on you by not showing anything! Everything is off-screen so you are left with only the sound effects. It is more disturbing as your imagination sets to work on the images off screen, and that in itself is more horrifying.
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