Funny Games

Rating:
Summary: Perplexed by dismissive "art-house" pigeonholers
Review: I guess if you live in the city of cities, or even in the "un-city", New Orleans, you've seen enough "European" cinema to be able to dismiss something pretty authoritatively. Whatever. Maybe you had a talkative date or a Monday morning business plan that needed writing--something must have been directing your attention away from this whirlpool of suspense. Yeah, we all knew as soon as we heard Zorn's Naked City over the opening credits that it was going to end violently--that wasn't the hard part. The hard part was who was going to do what to whom. Just like always, it's the nuances that pull you in or leave you waiting for the next Central Station.

Rating:
Summary: Truly incredible!
Review: I turned on the movie without knowing anything about it-- so I was astonished at how events deteriorated from the innocent and funny initial scenes. From there, the film sinks into a very deep pit of horror, and it just keeps getting worse. I found myself feeling completely outraged-- even offended-- by the movie, and yet I could not turn it off. The whole experience of watching it was deeply unpleasant-- worse than any horror movie I've seen-- and yet... well... it's a damn-good film! I realized afterward that I was a victim of clever manipulation-- that the filmmaker was deliberately pressing these buttons in me. In that case, he gets an A+ for accomplishing his mission. But then one may question the value of pushing these buttons in the first place. Is it a comment on film & TV violence in general?

Rating:
Summary: Excellent acting, a wonderful movie.
Review: Truly an unforgettable movie. The woman who plays the wife, Anna, and the man who plays her husband, George, are absolutely first-rate.

Rating:
Summary: Screw you guys.
Review: This movie's awesome. So THERE

Rating:
Summary: morality in its essence
Review: reality in its core, moral values made recognisable, haneke shows the human mind in its essence, raw, disturbing, remote and without justice...

Rating:
Summary: Boring Insipid Nonentity
Review: As intriguing as the concept may seem, in reality the fiction is trite. Cared little for the characters or the direction. For postmodern thrills, rent a later Godard picture.

Rating:
Summary: Who put their thumb in my Pi?
Review: Simply awful from start to finish. Arthouse films are dying and this production does it's best to accelerate their imminent demise. i won't disrespect any REAL films to make a comparison, but i will compare the pacing, direction, and acting to having a 600lb. crossdressing gorilla twist my four front teeth sideways with a rusty pair of pliers. The concept was intriguing but the delivery was borderline hogwash. Poorly directed, written, acted and executed.

Rating:
Summary: A thriller for sympathizers of passivity
Review: although this film tries it's best to be both clever and experimental (the remote control scene would've worked in a different movie) it still misses it's mark in obtaining a plateau ot "truly disturbing". the innocents in the film were paper thin, uncannily passive, and totally unbelievable. the evil pair are quirky but are absurdly thrown together characters that never actually feel threatening. maybe one day there will be a remake. this could have been a contender

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant, daring, and offensive
Review: If you like to criticize the mass media (for either glorifying violence or stupidity) you will like this film. Definately not a sicko film for sicko's, it's actually much deeper. But remember, if you feel like watching a "feel good" film - this isn't the one you want to see.

Rating:
Summary: Twisted and very cool.
Review: Man, I could barely stand to look at the screen some of the time--but I sure couldn't look away, either. "Funny Games" is extraordinary, both a joy and a terror to watch. Maybe you shouldn't watch it on a first date, though.