Funny Games (1997)

It is not only a funny movie, but it allows a great amount of joy for anyone who watches it.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

There is psychological horror and then there is this, it's pure torment! But it's so fascinating you can't look away.. The antagonists make Alex DeLarge look like Dennis the menace! It's also a rather bold move in a movie like this to use storytelling devices like.. well you'll see! But Haneke makes it work, it's quite brilliant actually!

A difficult film for audiences because of the deplorable violence and vanishingly small relief extended to the viewer. The flaw is one of Introspection which is one of many fiction-writing modes and conventions used to convey the thoughts of a character. The film, by portraying such brutality leaves us with merely damned people and evil people. The lack of emotional connection between director and viewer results in redundancy. The viewer does not reach an enhanced position by having understood the deeper motives form the inner dialogue of the characters.

I watched the original 1997 version of 'Funny Games' a few days ago and haven't stopped thinking about it since. The narrative in short: A wealthy Austrian family, dad Georg (Ulrich Mühe) mum Anna (Susanne Lothar) and their young son Schorschi (Stefan Clapczynski), arrives at their holiday home at a picturesque lake. Soon after their arrival a young man knocks on the door, saying that he is staying with mutual friends and that they ask to borrow a few eggs. Anna lets him in; soon his friend joins him. The home invasion starts. Both intruders Peter (Frank Giering) and Paul (Arno Frisch) initially look open-faced - even their names echo some biblical connotation - but their evil side would soon appear when they psychologically and physically assault the family. The tragedy relentlessly unfolds.I have seen quite a few truly unsettling films (such as Lars von Trier's 'Antichrist') but 'Funny Games' tops the list. The visuals are not that graphic; we are mostly shown post-violence scenes and not the physical attacks actually happening. Director Haneke clearly avoids sensationalism. I found this film extremely hard to watch. Yet, I could not look away, sitting mesmerized in front of the screen. Michael Haneke had me hooked. Afterwards I realized how I was being manipulated. When Anna took the shotgun and shot the chubby intruder, his blood splattering the wall behind him and even the face of his mate, I felt elated. Serves him right, that will show the son of a b! I Only when the narrative was 're-winded', with both antagonists now surviving, did I realize that in my initial reaction I had become not much different from the intruders. A shocking realization.This intelligent and provocative film should be seen by serious movie-lovers. Viewers suffering from psychological stress should be warned that this film may not be for them. I found it profoundly unsettling, but with outstanding cinematographic qualities. 9/10.

Many persons want to go in to the film industry but they usually hit the wall of big studios and the need of funds. And the independent films is a way for them to cut their teeth in and if the director, acting crew and writing team use what they have in the best way then you can get something like the now famous examples of Evil Dead(1981) , Reservoir Dogs(1992) ,Mad Max(1977), Memento (2000), The Terminator (1984) and many more and this film is also in to this category.The experienced TV director Micheal Haneke tried for the first time to direct of feature film and using his limited resources he made this small but very well paced, chilling film. In short he used his experienced working on a TV set which lacks usually space in to make feel the stress, fear and shock about this home invasion. Another great part of the film are the antagonists especially Arno Frisch due to his attitude and intelligence that makes him both intimidating dispute his slender physic and the plump body of his friend.Over all it is a very good independent film and I recommended to very film buff.