... though unfortunately I don't do it here. My weekly column over at Showcase is dedicated to Michael Haneke's English language remake of his own Funny Games this week. It's a film I find interesting more than it is effective and I expect to see a broad range of diverging opinions on it in these pages once it hits screens - the limited release starts tomorrow - and am especially looking forward to seeing what Kurt and Canfield, both big fans of the original, think about it. Here's a wee snip of what I said about it there, hit the link below to check the full review.
Haneke's always been a very formal, very cerebral sort of film maker and his greatest strength is also his big weakness here. For this sort of thing to really work it needs to be something that you feel - you should walk out of the theater feeling beaten up - but this is mostly one that you think about. It's interesting more than it is affecting and there's pretty much no chance in hell that the audience that most needs to see it will either enter the theater or care about what they experience there if they do.
I'm kicking myself for not going to the screening on Monday. Oi.
Hoping to pop up a full review after I catch it in the regular cinema.
As a further way of plugging, our little Movie Club Podcast (Twitch/Rowthree/MoviePatron/Filmjunk) did the original FUNNY GAMES in considerable depth a couple of months ago:
http://movieclubpodcast.blogspot.com/2008/01/movie-club-4-lady-in-water-and-funny.html
I wil stick to the original, the typical German language dous it for me, it gives the movie that extra sadistic flavour.
I'm sort of looking forward to it.
I'm not remake-phobic, but this really isn't on my radar. Don't know why. Previews and pre-release press look, but it just isn't doing it for me. I'm sure I'll see it eventually - I've seen a good deal of Haneke's films. The original Funny Games and Time of the Wolf are my two favorites, I think. I'd love to see some of his earlier work.