Review of Funny Games (1997) by John M — 11 Dec 2008
A movie that breaks all the rules. The plot: a family goes on vacation, where they are solicited by two very polite psychopaths. They make a bet with the family that in twelve hours, none of them will be alive (not really a bet, more of a statement than anything, really).
There is some disturbing violence here, however, a large portion of it happens off screen, leaving it to the audience's imagination to what happened. The selling point of the movie is the relationship between the audience and the filmmaker.
Michael Haneke has very strong beliefs on violence in media, and he gets his message across in a hard-hitting, effective way by breaking the fourth wall in the right places. He knows that audiences seek out violence, and that's just what Haneke gives them, except he makes it draining rather than entertaining.
It's unconventional, but in a good way, and a memorable social commentary.
This review of Funny Games (1997) was written by John M on 11 Dec 2008.
Funny Games has generally received positive reviews.
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