Funny Games (Juegos divertidos)

I watched the remake first, and maybe that’s why I thought it was more effective, because, logically, the original could no longer surprise me. Basically, it’s exactly the same film, but I think the couple of sleazebags were better in the American version. Although I can’t say watching the original Funny Games made me feel like singing, the American version left me a bit more exhausted. I hope Haneke won’t make another version in a different language, because I don’t think I want to go through this a third time. (17.06.2009)

An incredibly inconsistent film. Haneke is admirably precise in his portrayal of the depressing atmosphere and the feeling of hopelessness, and the long uninterrupted passages without words, when we watch the physical and mental suffering of the main characters, are among the strongest that the genre has to offer, despite numerous critical responses. The uniqueness and originality of the film is highlighted not only by the premise, which is itself a fountain of chilling imagery, but also by the stylish execution combined with brilliant cinematography, simple but extremely punchy dialogues and the casting of the two bad guys, who fit their unsavoury roles perfectly. Unfortunately, however, the plot, though meticulously shot, starts to look more and more like a self-serving and shocking attempt to make the audience's knees buckle, and the depressing thoughts of "what would I do in that situation" are gradually overshadowed by the blatantly calculated nature of some of the twists and turns and the growing emotional blackmail. And everything is imaginatively crowned and sent to hell by a completely nonsensical scene with a remote control, which I would not have accepted even if Haneke had explained its meaning to me ten times. Plus, I saw the American remake first and I really don't understand what led someone to make two essentially identical films. I guess money was pouring in :-) 65% (09.08.2013)