Funny Games

The movie opens up with a family driving to their country side vacation home. They are playing a guessing game of which piece of western classical music is being played on the radio. As the first credit appears on the screen, the soundtrack jarringly shifts to heavy metal rock. This sets the tone for the film which basically involves two sadistic teenagers terrorizing a family at their home for no rhyme nor reason. Prepare to cringe and come away disturbed!

The film serves as Michael Haneke's sadistic and satirical salute to the film industry for its love of wanton and pointless violence. Interestingly this was a remake of his own German version which was released in 1998. Looks like he felt strongly enough to send the same message out twice.

Rating: * * *

The Seventh Continent

When Eva (Leni Tanzer) feigns blindness at school, her parents slowly come to realize that they are leading a futile and meaninglessness existence. Michael Haneke's meditative film loosely based on a true story looks at the monotonous life of a family that decides to break out of the funk and take matters into their own hands.

Rating: * *

Caché

A still camera welcomes you with the names of the cast and crew arranging itself across the screen. Michael Haneke's slick psychological drama grips you from that very calm beginning. Georges (Daniel Auteuil) and Anne (Juliette Binoche) lead an innocuous life with their teenage son. Boring tapes of someone watching them start to show up on their doorstep and the idyllic layers of their lives start to peel.

Rating: * * * *