Funny Games (2008 film)

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For the original film version, see Funny Games (1997 film).
Funny Games

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Michael Haneke
Produced by Christian Baute
Chris Coen
Hamish McAlpine
Andro Steinborn
Written by Michael Haneke
Starring Naomi Watts
Tim Roth
Michael Pitt
Brady Corbet
Devon Gearhart
Cinematography Darius Khondji
Editing by Monika Willi
Distributed by Warner Independent Pictures
Release date(s) March 14, 2008
Running time 112 min.
Country US
Austria
Language English
Budget $15 million
Official website
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Funny Games is the 2008 American remake of the 1997 Austrian horror film Funny Games. Original writer/director Michael Haneke (Caché and La Pianiste) wrote and directed, and Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, and Michael Pitt star. The film is a shot-for-shot remake of its predecessor, translated into English and with different actors.[1][2][3]

Contents

[edit] Plot

The film opens with the Farber family—George (Tim Roth), his wife Ann (Naomi Watts), their about 10-year-old son Georgie (Devon Gearhart), and their dog (Golden Retriever, Gable Potter, http://www.shermanarts.com/Photo/Kids/Gable/Gable.htm) —arriving at their lake house. Their next-door neighbor stops in to help launch the family's sailboat, accompanied by a young man, Paul (Michael Pitt), whom he introduces as a friend. A short time later, another young man, Peter (Brady Corbet), also a "friend" of the neighbors, arrives to borrow eggs from Ann. He gets the eggs, but breaks them and asks for new ones. While waiting for them, he knocks Ann's cell phone into the filled kitchen sink, pretending it is an accident. He leaves with the eggs but soon returns again, claiming that they broke when the dog attacked him. Paul comes also and borrows a golf club to try it outside, returning a few minutes later.

A frustrated Ann demands that the men leave, but they ignore this. When George and Georgie return from launching the boat, George apologizes at first for his wife's unfriendliness toward the "guests." However, he soon realizes their rudeness as well and slaps Paul's face to throw them out. Paul reacts by breaking George's leg with the borrowed golf club, after which he and Peter refuse to let anyone leave and begin to play a series of sadistic games. First is a game of "Warm and Cold," in which Paul guides Ann to the family car, where she finds the carcass of the dog--beaten to death with the golf club.

When some neighbors from across the lake arrive for a visit, Ann and Paul meet them at the dock; she passes him off as a friend until they leave. Once everyone in back inside the house, Paul offers to bet that the entire family will be dead by 9:00 the next morning, roughly 12 hours from now. Between games, he and Peter--who often call each other "Tom and Jerry" and "Beavis and Butt-head"--keep up a constant patter, with Paul frequently ridiculing Peter's weight and lack of intelligence. He also tells a number of contradicting stories of Peter's past, though no definite explanation is ever presented as to the men's origins or motives. Throughout the film, Paul also breaks the fourth wall several times, commenting to the audience about the situation.[4]

The next game is "Cat in a Bag," in which Peter places a sack over Georgie's head and threatens to strangle him unless Ann briefly strips naked for Paul. After she has done so, a scuffle breaks out and Georgie escapes the house through a second-story window. With Paul in pursuit, he slips into the neighbors' house only to discover that they have been killed. He picks up a shotgun from the floor and tries to use it against Paul; it is not loaded, though, and both he and the weapon are brought back. Peter has now bound Ann hand and foot.

Paul gives the shotgun and one of two shells (from his pocket) to Peter, and they start a counting-out game to decide which family member to kill. Peter is left to finish the game as Paul gets a snack from the kitchen; when Paul comes back, he finds that Peter has shot Georgie by mistake and also broken George's arm. The two men leave, taking the shotgun and returning the golf club Paul borrowed.

George and Ann weep for their loss and resolve to survive this ordeal any way they can. Ann cuts herself free of her bindings, and she and George try to get her cell phone working by using a hair dryer to dry out all the parts. They have no success, but George keeps trying as Ann leaves the house to flag down any passing cars for help. A short time later, George is interrupted by the return of Paul and Peter, with the bound and gagged Ann in tow. Taking the phone from him and loading the shotgun with the shell still in Paul's pocket, they begin to play a new game, "The Loving Wife," for which Ann's gag is removed. If she can say a prayer (chosen by Peter) forwards and backwards without any mistakes, she can decide whether she or George will die next, and whether it will be by knife or shotgun. Before the game is over, though, she grabs the loaded gun and kills Peter with it.

Enraged, Paul digs out the television remote control and uses it to rewind the film itself for several seconds. Once normal action resumes, he moves the gun out of the way as Ann dives for it, then shoots George dead as punishment for breaking the rules. That morning, Paul and Peter take Ann--again bound and gagged--sailing on the family boat. She tries to cut herself loose with a knife that has fallen into the boat, but it is quickly found and dropped overboard. Paul soon pushes her into the water to drown, winning the bet with an hour to spare. Docking at the house of the family that had previously visited the Farbers, Peter stays with the boat while Paul goes inside to borrow some eggs--a hint that the cycle of sadism and murder is about to begin again. Paul directs a smirk toward the camera as the film ends.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Release

The film premiered at the London Film Festival on October 20, 2007.[citation needed] Its U.S. premiere was at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2008. It began a limited release in the United States and Canada on March 14 2008, distributed by Warner Independent.[5] A wider release will be on April 8, 2008.[citation needed] The Film was also shown in Istanbul Film Festival which took place between April 5-20 2008.

[edit] Critical reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics. As of March 21, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 47% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 96 reviews.[6] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 43 out of 100, based on 28 reviews.[7]

Todd Gilchrist from IGN called the film "Unrelenting and brilliant, Funny Games is a truly great film — an incisive, artistic triumph that doubles as a remarkably thrilling and unique cinematic experience." On the other hand, Joshua Rothkopf from Time Out New York said the film was "A sour project that defines anti-imaginative."

[edit] Home media

The DVD was released on June 10, 2008. The DVD does not contain any extra material but instead it includes both widescreen and full screen editions on one disc.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Funny Games" Remake Shot-For-Shot.
  2. ^ Funny Games remake talk.
  3. ^ Michael Haneke makes Naomi Watts Cry.
  4. ^ Gleiberman, Owen. "Funny Games", Entertainment Weekly, 2008-03-12. Retrieved on 2008-03-16. 
  5. ^ Honeycutt, Kirk. "Sundance Premieres section sees changes", The Hollywood Reporter, 2007-11-30. Retrieved on 2008-03-18. 
  6. ^ Funny Games Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved on 2008-03-16.
  7. ^ Funny Games (2008): Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2008-03-16.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Films directed by Michael Haneke
1990s
2000s
Television
…Und was Kommt Danach? • After Liverpool • Sperrmüll • Drei Wege zum See • Lemminge, Teil 1 Arkadien • Lemminge, Teil 2 Verletzungen • Variationen • Wer war Edgar Allan? • Fraulein • Nachruf für einen Mörder • Die Rebellion • Das Schloß
Shorts
Lumière et compagnie (segment "Michael Haneke/Vienne")