Director: Michael Haneke
Starring: Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Michael Pitt
My Rating: Liked It
Funny Games is about a couple of seemingly upper class young adults who go from house to house essentially torturing families, hence "funny games." But I think the point is that the movie is playing funny games on the viewer. At times it's a frustrating watch, and it's supposed to be.
I see it as a statement that most horror movies are utter works of fiction, and people would react entirely different in real life. And in most horror movies it comes to a good resolution that leaves the audience feeling like good overcame evil. Funny Games makes it a huge point to be the antithesis of all these films. I think the scene that best represents this movie is when Watts' and Roth's son is shot and killed. This is the first important and devastating moment in the film to the characters, and the camera is on one of the killers in the kitchen making a sandwich while you hear the gunshot from the other room.
I can see how some people may not like it. After all, there is a very long silent sequence in which we watch Naomi Watts struggle to stand up because her hands and feet are tied together. This isn't exactly thrilling. Whether you like it or not, it's a very well made and incredibly well acted film.
At a few points in the movie the "villains" break the fourth wall, e.i. winking or talking straight at the camera to the audience. This is the movie saying, you paid to see some fucked up shit, so here you go.