******
- Verified Buyer
Just when I thought I had already seen all the forms of movie violence, Michael Haneke's "Funny games" shows up. Two friendly and ordinary looking young blokes dressed in white neat clothes turn out to be a pair of sick and perverted psychopaths and the sadistic molestation, tormenting, harassment and torturing of a perfectly innocent family gets started without even a tiny warning. Although we can't practically see even a one clear act of physical violence during the entire film and we spot hardly a drop of blood, "Funny games" is probably one of the most violent films there is. It's so overfilled with mental cruelty the pressuring anxiety grows up to be something highly enormous. For example when the torturer orders the desperate mother to undress, camera only concentrates on showing her agonized and painful crying face when she strips off.At one point the other punk even looks straight at the camera and blinks his eye - inviting the staggered viewer to join this warped madness. There are certain rules in filmmaking that "Funny games" breaks and that's the sickest part of the film. We are all used to the facts like bad guys can never be the victorious ones. It's obvious the audience clearly feels sympathy for the helpless family but this time mentally ill and distorted thugs are still represented as the heroes. "Funny games" is a confusing, shocking, curious, strong and slow but very gripping film. Naturally repulsive, cruel, disgusting, frightful and sadistic but surprisingly good - most likely because it's something totally different. I can't really compare it to anything I've seen before because it's absolutely unique in its insanity. I can only recommend this to people who love to open new doors of insightful pleasures. Haneke's work has to be one of the ugliest movies ever (or could it be the prettiest movie ever)? You decide for yourself...
