Michael Haneke's Funny Games, a shot-for-shot remake of the critically-acclaimed 1997 horror/thriller of the same name, is a strangely quiet, slow-burning masterpiece of a movie. The acting, the disturbing violence, and the unpredictable ending make for one hell of a "game." In fact, the movie is oftentimes almost so realistic that it's difficult to watch. In the bigger picture, the movie has a fantastic message behind it. Why is America so obsessed with watching violence? Can you tolerate just sitting back and watching as something very real is occurring on the screen? The movie is cleverly crafted so that the audience almost feels responsible for all of the horrible things that happen to the characters in this movie. Funny Games stars Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Michael Pitt, Devon Gearhart, and Brady Corbet, and it is written and directed by Michael Haneke.
When a family of three arrives at their remote summer cabin for a quiet getaway, the sudden arrival of two psychotic men sets the stage for a harrowing life-or-death struggle. The strangers (Brady Corbet and Michael Pitt) insist on playing games with the defenseless family (Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, and Devon Gearhart) in cleverly-plotted methods that make for an incredibly disturbing and satiric look at American culture and the act of voyeurism.
The dialogue is simply breathtaking. It's all very self-aware, and incredibly realistic. All of the characters act very rationally and, for the most part, don't really do anything stupid. The movie remains shocking from the get-go up until the very last frame. It never holds anything back. As explained in the movie itself, it often "breaks the fourth wall", which is an invisible wall between the audience and the movie itself. Paul, one of the antagonists, often talks to the audience or looks directly at them, 'breaking' this invisible fourth wall. This is an extremely interesting concept and it utilized in the most efficient manner, flipping what could have been a conventional slasher movie into an intelligent, 'arthouse' picture.
The acting and casting is nothing short of spectacular. Naomi Watts plays the mother so well that you can relate immediately to her story. Tim Roth was fitting in the fatherly role, and little Devon Gearhart was just pitch-perfect as the ten-year-old George. Michael Pitt, who has amazed ever since 2001's Bully, is by far the best actor in the movie, shining in every single scene and being 100% believable as a rich, snobby, bored-out-of-his-mind young man who likes toying with people. Brady Corbet, who was all kinds of fantastic in 2004's Mysterious Skin, is great as the quiet maniac. The believability of the actors is what really makes this movie special.
Michael Haneke really knew what he was doing when he made this film. There are all sorts of interesting shots and intense sequences, the most disturbing being one in which someone makes a sandwich. This movie is pure horror, not Hollywood-ized or watered down in any way. It's satire, and it works so well that you almost feel as if you're watching something very real. It is just a crying shame that the movie has a limited theatrical release because it is one of the most original, unnerving, and uncomfortable moviewatching experiences that one will ever have.
