MOVIE REVIEW - Funny Games

As I walked into the theater to see Funny Games someone asked me if it was a comedy. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Funny Games, starring Naomi Watts and Tim Roth is the story of a nice, wealthy family with a young son, who go away to their vacation home. They are then kidnapped by a pair of privileged, seemingly polite, young drug addicts who are completely out of their minds as a way of life. They explain they steal from wealthy families to support their drug habit. But in Funny Games, stealing is not near enough for these two. They torture, humiliate and kill those from which they steal. To be honest....it's even beyond that. Lovely huh?

I want to be careful here. Funny Games reminds us of what really scares us. If you go you will be scared and uncomfortable at times. Very skillfully done in that regard. Freddie Krueger really doesn't scare us. What is real, and possible does. You will feel the helplessness, the terror and the pain these victims go through. That's where I stop.

Truly, there are better things to make movies about. Slasher flicks are one thing, this is something completely different. I know, the movie maker would tell you that because you're uncomfortable, that makes it good movie making. Many times that is true. Not here. I will warn you up front there are things that happen in this movie that are totally distasteful There are subject lines and deeds done that NO one wants to see. When I say distasteful, I'm not kidding. This movie dares to go where movies really never go. Moms...you especially will hate this movie.

The message here is that there are young, out-of-control youths out there on drugs to the degree that most of us can not imagine. And I fear that is so in our world. This flick does not glorify this, but does make you aware of it. But I warn you again...it is very hard watch at times. So choose your movie going partner carefully. Funny Games, not funny, not games either. Disturbing, utterly and totally disturbing.