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Funny Games U.S.

1/10

Stars: Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, Michael Pitt, Brady Corbet, Devon Gearhart

Director: Michael Haneke

Nothing funny here, in this virtually scene-for-scene remake (by the same director) of the scabrous German film of 1997. Two young psychos (Pitt, Corbet) in white clothes, with gloves to match, terrorise, torment, torture and finally slaughter rich families at their lakeside holiday homes.

What do they hope to achieve? What happens when they run out of families? Why have they never been caught?

Anna (Watts), George (Roth) and their son Georgie (Gearhart) soon fall victim to the at-first creepily charming, but then chilling butter-haired couple. George's knee is broken with a golf club and a night of terror begins. Chances of escape: nil. Entertainment value: nil - apart from a bizarre 'rewind' sequence towards the end when Watts kills one of the men, then sees the other rewind time, so that she doesn't. Go figure.

Watts, though her acting is terrific, should be ashamed at having executive-produced such a movie. The director has been quoted as saying that 'anyone who leaves the cinema doesn't need the film'. Hmm.

David Quinlan

USA 2007. UK Distributor: Tartan. Duboicolor.
111 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 18.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 2, Drugs 0, Swearing 1.

Review date: 01 Apr 2008