Their Games Are Not Funny!

Hello All,

If you have the desire or inclination to see either the Original or US Version of Funny Games DO NOT READ THIS BLOG BECAUSE IT WILL BE FULL OF SPOLIERS. If you do not mind then read on. Thank you for your time.

Funny Games (the original Michael Haneke version) was recommend to me from a friend of friend and eventually I found it for a decent price at Best Buy (no surprise there). Eventually as I worked through my pile of DVDs to watch I got to Funny Games.

What is really good about this movie is that it totally plays with the conventions of traditional Hollywood/American thrillers. The bad guys are really bad and you expect them to get their 'just desserts' and one of them does but then the other 'baddie' gets the remote control for the TV and rewinds the actions that led to his accomplices demise and prevents it from happening. The director does not let the viewers have the satisfaction of seeing these bad guys die. One obvious message behind this film is that sometimes the bad guys win or according to the director sometimes that bads guys should win in films because too often they are defeated; plus he is working against traditional American thrillers. One of the most dark moments in the film is at the end when one of the 'baddies' looks directly at the screen with a dark grin on his face after he sets up his next victim; to which he will do what he did to the protagonists earlier in the film.

I cannot say conclusively whether I enjoyed this film, but it got me thinking and that is important. I will let it sit and then give it a watch again. I did jar me as a film fanatic and few films tend to do this. If you want to have a film experience that will disturb you then give it a watch, but if you are squeamish then skip it. I am serious; do not watch it.

I hope this entry will be enjoyed by whomever is reading me blog. I appreciate anyone who reads my blog. Please feel free to leave comments, criticisms, questions, etc.

Sincerely,

Fanboy Dave