Funny Games U.S


Dir: Michael Haneke
111 Mins
2008













A couple of young pyschotic men visit a married couple and son in their vacation home under the pretence of neighbours borrowing eggs. The men refuse to leave when asked and hold the family hostage making them play a number of games while threatening their lives. The whole ordeal is played out in the most pyschologically torturous fashion.

Funny Games U.S is an almost shot for shot remake of Haneke's original Austrian Funny Games (1997). Unlike other dubious American remakes however, such as Sluziers The Vanishing (1993), Haneke refuses in any manner to pander to a wider audience by softening the nilhilism contained within. Not only does Funny Games retain the power of its Austrian counterpart it also scores a coup with the inclusion of both Michael Pitt and Naomi Watts who excel in their roles. Naomi Watts is notable for giving a performance of terror personified here and it ranks as one of her best turns, up with Mulholland Drive (2001).The rest of the players also provide strong support, Tim Roth turning in a quietly strong performance.

My instant reaction on Funny Games being remade was to ask why? What more new could it have to say? On seeing the film however Haneke's almost academic take on screen violence seems more relevant than ever if anything. In truth this story seems to be more at home in 2007 than in 1997. This no doubt has a great deal to do with the ascent of mindless and careless torture porn films such as Hostel (2005) and the popularity of ever gorier and extreme videogames, both of which have found large audiences. A knowing aside is given to this by Paul when he walks in on a wounded George telling him "player two, next level". As already noted Pitt really delivers in his role as Paul, looking and acting superficially like butter would not melt in his mouth he gives a sublime performance of nastiness and evil, Alongside Ken Park (2002)
this has to be the highlight of his career so far. When the film ends with a chilling freeze frame of him staring at us (which does a fine job of making us culpable for the atrocities) it is clear he is a large part of why this remake works so well and surpasses the original.

Haneke does a fine job of filming and pacing the narrative, long takes combined with lengthy sequences in the vacation home with an eye for intriguing detail work to create a heavy feeling of dread and suspense. The outbreaks of violence are all the more powerful for happening off screen with the echo of screams, as in the orginal. As polished as Funny Games U.S is though, those looking for entertainment will be disappointed and more likely angered or offended. Haneke even mocks those looking for the tropes of classic revenge drama in a notorious scene where he breaks the fourth wall, giving the viewer exactly what they wish for and then literally rewinding the film to jettison this in favour of a much darker denouement. It is in truth a very hard film to watch and this is exactly what Haneke wants. Unsettling as it is brilliant this is a vicious attack on the glorification and consumption of violence in contemporary cinema and culture, for those who take the time to stomach it, it is an experiance that is not easily forgotten. As challenging a film as I can remember it will be sure to divide audiences and bring about the most extreme responses. Powerful and and raw cinema and to those ends a resounding success.
5 / 6