Funny Games U.S (2007)

**CONTAINS SPOILERS**

Golden rule number one when reviewing a film is that it has to hold my interest from beginning to end. It seems daft to open this review with such an obvious point but it feels fitting in this case, for Michael Haneke's Funny Games U.S. does exactly that. Indeed I was interested from beginning to end. But that does not tell the full story because despite being an interesting film, perhaps even an enjoyable one, Funny Games is not entirely successful. At the heart of this is that fact that it's a Haneke film. Now, I don't mean that derogatorily for Haneke is an intelligent director and one of the most important currently working today. But there is so much more going on in Funny Games U.S than meets the eye and I think that Haneke fails in getting his thoughts across successfully.

Funny Games U.S is a shot-for-shot remake of his effort ten years previously. Yes that's right Haneke remade his own film, Funny Games, shooting it exactly how he shot the original. However, the remake is in the English language and stars familiar names Tim Roth and Naomi Watts in the lead roles. Roth and Watts play George and Ann, a happily married couple who, along with their son Georgie, are on their way to their lake house for a presumed weekend break. To make their journey go quicker they entertain themselves by playing 'guess the classical song and composer'. This is a well-to do family, comfortably settled in familiar family life. Shortly after their arrival at the lake house they are introduced by their next-door neighbours to two seemingly friendly young men Peter and Paul who, despite their friendly persona, appear to be a little odd. The men continue to impress themselves on the family and, when a persistent request for eggs tests Ann's patience forcing her to demand that they leave the family alone things begin to get a little sinister as Peter and Paul, dressed in all-white, force the family to take part in physical and psychological games testing their resolve to stay alive.

This plot description may lead you to believe that this is just another run of the mill horror film but you would be far from the truth. In fact I wouldn't, perhaps controversially so, even describe this as a horror film per se. Despite the perhaps tired and familiar story at no point did I think that Haneke was trying to produce his own take on the horror genre. Funny Games U.S. is more of a commentary than a film in it's own right. Haneke has said of his film that it is a reaction to the way that violence in films has become consumerized in America and it is often said that the original Funny Games was Haneke's way of 'telling off' those film viewers who take pleasure out of such violent films. Haneke remade Funny Games in order to elevate the film (i.e. his message) to those unfamiliar with viewing films in any other language than English (i.e the Americans of whom Haneke refers to).

Haneke's way of getting across his message sees Peter and Paul (perhaps Haneke's messengers?) consistently 'breaking the fourth wall' (i.e. talking directly to the audience). The two perpetrators consistently ask the audience questions like 'why are you watching this?' as well as predicting whose side the audience is on and what the audience expect to ask next. There is even a bizarre scene in which a remote control is used to rewind time in order to have a scene play out differently.

I'm fine with Haneke's message in fact I even admire it. But as a film Funny Games U.S. isn't too successful and in many respects (but I stress not all) it does just become another exploitation film with predictable outcomes and unsavoury characters that are not explored too well.

But there are a lot of positives about Funny Games U.S. Firstly, the eerie performances of Michael Pitt (Last Days) and Brady Corbet are excellent and as a growing fan of Naomi Watts I enjoyed seeing her here as well. Secondly,Haneke's direction is sublime and the film is well constructed and like there is in his 2005 near-masterpiece Cache, there is one scene that totally comes out of nowhere and blew me away with how well it was captured. I admire Haneke's basic and still camerawork that was present in Cache and is present again here. Thirdly and tying in I guess with the purpose behind Funny Games is the admirable scene in which Ann dies. I admire the unimportance Haneke ascribes to the scene that sees Peter and Paul nonchalantly dispose of her body. Fourthly, the thrash screamo metal song (Bonehead by Naked City) is used as a score in a way that only Haneke would dare to do. It makes for such an odd and contrasting opening scene. And finally, the film does remain tense throughout and did, as I mentioned at the start, refrain from breaking golden rule number one.


Rating: 7/10