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“Funny Games” earns jeers from critics and audiences

March 21st, 2008 by Scott Marks

funny-games.jpg
“I know it’s basically Xerography, but please come see my movie!”

The critics rave over Michael Haneke’s useless remake of his own Funny Games:

“The fact that it features fine performances, talented direction and some moments of genuine suspense only makes the end product that much more grotesque and appalling.” — Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

“That this relentless barrage of psychological and physical torture is extremely well made and powerfully performed — Watts hurls herself into her physically demanding role with heroic conviction — somehow makes it worse.” — David Ansen, Newsweek

“Haneke’s assault on our fantasy lives is shallow, unimaginative, and glacially unengaged — a sucker punch without the redeeming passion of punk.” — David Edelstein, New York Magazine
“It’s one of the most repugnant, unpleasant, sadistic movies ever made. No matter what virtues of craft one can find within, no matter what themes lie beneath, Funny Games is aesthetically indefensible.” — Andy Klein, Los Angeles City Beat

“In addition to being borderline unendurable, Funny Games is inexplicable, and I don’t mean in any philosophical sense.” — Joe Morganstern, Wall Street Journal

“I would absolutely defend Haneke’s right to relaunch his broadside on our voyeuristic vices, but he’s not keeping up with the times; he’s behind them. “– Anthony Lane, The New Yorker

Michael Haneke’s attempt to re-trace his steps frame by frame seems to be infuriating just about all who see it, and it’s not just the critics. According to Variety, “audiences have been quick to voice their displeasure as well, loudly complaining during overtly manipulative portions at some screenings.”

America’s disgust delights the folks over at Warner Independent Pictures, the film’s distributor. “We always expected it would have a polarized response,” says WIP bigwig Polly Cohen, who admits she was both repulsed and compelled by the film. “It’s for a very specific audience.”

Is it? Certainly thugs like the ones depicted in the film won’t go near any art house playing this film. Nor will the promise of unrelenting nihilism likely attract the intelligentsia. The only audience Funny Games will draw is most likely to be comprised of curiosity seekers and completists.

The film, which was produced by it’s star Naomi Watts, opened to moderately respectful numbers givin its limited release, generating $520,000 at 289 theaters for a $1,799 per-screen average in its opening weekend. A patronizing Mr. Haneke said he remade the film because American audiences, too lazy to read subtitles, needed to heed it’s message that violence is bad. In spite of that, Ms. Cohen expects it to to do even better in Europe. “We realized with American tastes it could go either way,” she says.

Don’t hold a tag day for Mr. Haneke just yet. Another one of his films is set to be “reinterpreted” for unwashed American audiences. Plans are in the works at Universal studios for a Ron Howard remake of Cache. Let’s see how the director’s ego feels about remakes after Opie’s by-the-numbers version rakes in more money than all of Haneke’s European features combined.

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3 Responses to ““Funny Games” earns jeers from critics and audiences”

  1. John Schultz on March 21st, 2008 7:09 pm

    Is it possible that Haneke remade this just so that people will hate it? He has made such better films since this; what’s the point? The original just seemed to work better for me; I don’t know why. Maybe all that talking to camera and remote control trickery worked better in German. I also liked the head creep in the original more as well; the other kid looks like Macauley Culkin after his parents left him home alone one too many times. Also, it helps to not be familiar with the actors involved in the story. It always was less of a movie and more of a statement, if you will. Which I didn’t have a problem with, per se, if that’s what he wants to do. But why remake it? Your average American is not going to get it and be turned off.

    Ron Howard is remaking a Haneke film? Isn’t that like Rob Reiner remaking “Audition”?

  2. Scott Marks on March 21st, 2008 10:37 pm

    All good points, particularly your exit swipe against Rob. He couldn’t even sit through the film let alone remake it.

  3. John Dacapias on March 24th, 2008 12:50 pm

    HA, HA!!

    OMG, I am still getting up off the floor.

    Ron Howard is remaking a Haneke film (let me see if it is snowing in hell now)!!!

    Rob Reiner remaking “Audition” (sorry, I am rolling on the floor again!!)

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