[Funny Games]
Plot:In this English-language remake of a deconstruction in the way violence is portrayed in the media, a family settles into its vacation home, which happens to be the next stop for a pair of young, articulate, white-gloved serial killers on an excursion through the neighborhood.

Cast:Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Michael Pitt, Brady Corbet, Devon Gearhart, Boyd Gaines, Siobhan Fallon, Robert LuPone, Susanne C. Hanke, Linda Moran.

My Thoughts:Yuck, yuck.

Review:"Funny Games" is a remake of the Euro-slasher film from 1997, where a two crazy, young, white male teens hold a middle-class suburban family hostage, and decide to toy with them in very perverse, and murderous ways. The film was remade for one reason and one reason only, to explore the violence and violent nature of today's society. More specifically, the youth.

It stars Naomi Watts and tim Roth, two established actors. But I highly doubt the studio bosses thought they could make serious money off of this film. I think it was more of a message movie than anything. People were supposed to watch this movie and think wow, that could be me. Of course depending on what neighborhood you live in, it most likely won't be you. And that's the films most fatal flaw.

If you live in an urban type area, most likely people from that part of town are not going to break into your home one sunny afternoon, and decide to play some sick game by torturing you and your family elaborately. Chances are, they'll just tie you up, rip off your belongings, and leave. Or somewhere in between all of that, bust a cap in your crown as "The Bride" would say. This film really plays more to white suburban america, basically telling them that their greatest fear is themselves.

Of course the movie explores these themes in such hokey fashion, by having this family spending time at their cabin in the sticks, and all of a sudden be taken hostage by two "Richie Rich looking" types with golf clubs. Who sit them down, tie them up, and basically lay down the rules of a game which intails a bet that the family will be dead within 24 hours. The two yuppie thugs try to ensure their bet by putting fear and panic into the family which consists of Ann (Watts), George (Roth), and Georgie (Gearhart).

Hoping they'll make a mistake, or panic in a way which will give the two yuppie thugs a reason to kill, harm, or maim them. In between all of this, they also try and get the family to harm each other. But the movie comes off as excruciatingly boring because we watch three people who are tied up, get scolded and mind-gamed by these two for two hours. The film is just in poor taste, and really has no point other than to create a shock value which only comes near the end where one of the five parties finally cracks, and some horrible shit goes down.

I think this movie is for sadistic people, and I don't mean that for the casual viewer. I mean if you really enjoy a movie, enjoy a movie in your heart and soul where people are just bound and gagged, and then talked to death for two hours until someone gets smoked...then maybe you should seek help. This film could've been played out in an indie movie format, and have been alot more clever and the message, received.

But for a big studio movie, with Naomi Watts and Tim Roth, what a waste of cash. Add to that Brady Corbet and Michael Pitt, who play the yuppie thugs Peter and Paul...are nothing more than sociopaths who enjoy harming people who are generally gentiles. There's nothing cool, new, or intriguing about these two.

Including their golfing attire, which was just completely out of place. "Funny Games" is not funny, but rather lame. The films themes of sociopaths quietly lurking amongst us, lose credibility and steam because the story is so uninspired, rude, and pointless.

Positives:Not much beyond some suspense in the films final 15 minutes.

Negatives:The villains were lame and unimpressive, the themes the film tries to tackle are lost in an over-exploitation of sociopathic violence. And overall it's a major bore from an entertainment standpoint.

Overall:One star out of four.





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