Funny Games (2007)
"Funny Games U.S." (original title)

Two psychopathic young men take a family hostage in their cabin.

Director:

Michael Haneke

Writer:

Michael Haneke

Stars:

Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Michael Pitt

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Naomi Watts	...	Ann
Tim Roth	...	George
Michael Pitt	...	Paul
Brady Corbet	...	Peter
Devon Gearhart	...	Georgie
Boyd Gaines	...	Fred
Siobhan Fallon	...	Betsy (as Siobhan Fallon Hogan)
Robert LuPone	...	Robert
Susi Haneke	...	Betsy's Sister-in-Law (as Susanna Haneke)
Linda Moran	...	Eve

Storyline

In this English-language remake of a deconstruction in the way violence is portrayed in the media, a family settles into its vacation home, which happens to be the next stop for a pair of young, articulate, white-gloved serial killers on an excursion through the neighborhood.

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Plot Keywords:

violence | death | serial killer | remake | hostage | 

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Taglines:

The rules are simple. Pick a family and make them play

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for terror, violence and some language

Details

Official Sites:

Les Films du Losange [fr] Official site

Country:

USA France UK Austria Germany Italy

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 April 2008 (UK)

Also Known As:

Funny Games

Filming Locations:

Broadway Stages, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$510,958 (USA) (14 March 2008)

Gross:

$1,294,640 (USA) (25 April 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Celluloid Dreams, Halcyon Pictures, Tartan Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Michael Haneke also directed the Austrian original: Funny Games.

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Goofs

During the opening sequence, when George and Ann are listening to CDs in the car the shadows of the car and boat indicate that the sun is alternating between side-on/quite low in the sky to directly behind the car and almost overhead.

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Quotes

Paul: So, what do you want to do? You want to call someone? An ambulance, or the police? I won't stop you. Neither will Tom. Right, Tom? Well, what are you waiting for?

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Connections

Remake of Funny Games (1997)

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Soundtracks

"TU QUI SANTUZZA"
from Cavalleria Rusticana
Written by Pietro Mascagni
Performed by Renata Tebaldi & Jussi Björling
© Sonzogno Warner Chappell Music Limited
By Kind Permission of Warner Chappell Music Limit
(P: 1959 Decca Records Company Ltd (Universal Class
Courtesy of Universal Music Projects Speciaux

User Reviews

a movie for masochists

I ended up watching this by accident and halfway through I realised how terrible it was and skipped ahead to the end.

Funny Games is an anti-movie. It's deliberately annoying instead of entertaining, disturbing instead of amusing, boring instead of interesting. Needless to say most movies aren't made like this and I initially found that attitude curious and intriguing. However at the end of the day you're still left with a boring film.

There are no likable characters and the tormented family, especially the Tim Roth character, are implausibly wimpy. It's not believable that they would act so passively but maybe it's not meant to be believable. Tim Roth and Naomi Watts look uncomfortable as if they regret acting in this degrading movie, and the director squanders the talents of the entire cast, presumably on purpose. The interesting shots are left out and interminable bland scenes take their place, ie when Roth is trying to get the phone to work.

Tedious. Would have made a tolerable short film, ie five or ten minutes. There's something literary about it too, maybe it would have made a good short story. I didn't know that it was a remake of another identical film of Haneke's but it seems incredible that high profile actors would want to be in this knowing exactly how they were going to be treated.

I really didn't like this film.