Movie Reviews
Funny Games (18)
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| Funny Games |
Ignorance is bliss when it comes to Michael Haneke's contemporary update to his explosive 1997 film of the same name.
Remade virtually shot for shot, Funny Games is a violent and provocative thriller about a normal family facing the nightmare ordeal of a home invasion. The Austrian writer-director transplants the brutality from Europe to a picturesque lakeside home in Long Island, an ominously tranquil setting for the sadistic mind games that leave us teetering on the edge of our seats ... so long as you haven't been scared witless by the original.
The film's impact depends on the element of surprise, so for the first time ever I'm forced to award two different ratings.
Fans of the 1997 version will find this new Funny Games an almost pointless copy. There's a stronger female influence the second time around, with Naomi Watts' incendiary performance leaving screen husband Tim Roth firmly in the shadows, and an extended escape sequence.
But the change of location does not lead to any new narrative twists and the coup de grace with a television remote control will divide audiences as sharply today as it did some 10 years ago.
Anna (Naomi Watts), George (Tim Roth) and their young son Georgie (Devon Gearheart) arrive at their summer retreat. They end up being held hostage at the mercy of a twisted duo and become pawns in the ultimate game of survival.
Watts delivers a tour de force performance as the embattled mother, who risks her life to shield her family.
2:27pm Thursday 3rd April 2008
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