�Funny Games� is much more complex than the simple title may suggest. To understand this movie and appreciate it fully, you must understand its history as well as its intended message. One of the oddest things about the film is that it is a shot-for-shot remake of Michael Haneke�s original 1997 German film of the same title. He claims this movie is a reaction to the increase in crimes not inspired by revenge or wealth but of pure pleasure, specifically by teens that were brought up in a comfortable bourgeois lifestyle. �Funny Games� is a mockery of modern American cinema and entertainment in which violence reigns supreme.

While on vacation at their secluded lake house, a rich American family, played by Naomi Watts (�Eastern Promises�), Tim Roth (�Youth Without Youth�) and their son Devon Gearhart (�Dog Days of Summer�), falls victim to a pair of sadistic young men, Paul and Peter, Michael Pitt (�Delirious�) and Brady Corbet (�Thunderbirds�) respectively, who find entertainment in torturing families with twisted games of life and death. With their own lives at stake, each member of the family must play along with these troubled teens to try and save themselves from impending death.

As a forewarning, even Haneke doesn�t want you to see his movie. He claims your attraction to �Funny Games� for the purpose of being entertained is a mark against your character. Although the director�s assumptions may draw disagreement from some, it must also be admitted that many people will be drawn to this movie�s sadistic qualities.

Content aside, the acting from Pitt and Corbet is absolutely phenomenal. From the cold and empty stare projecting from his pale blue eyes, to the nonchalant way in which he discusses and wields death like a toddler waving a gun, Pitt will make you feel as if you are among the tortured. It�s almost sickening how �Funny Games� gets inside your head and makes you squirm in anticipation and anger.

That being said, the uncomfortable feeling you get during this movie does not detract from its entertainment value � but then that�s Haneke�s point. But in fact, when considering entertainment alone, the movie is a bit lacking, and there are times when it�s easy to become frustrated with some of the movie�s odd quirks, such as spontaneous asides from Paul. But considering the depth and overall message of the film, Haneke proves that he can make a movie that successfully dissects today�s obsession with violence.

For the typical college crowd spending nine bucks on a ticket, this movie is not for you. If you want to be amused, I would suggest seeing a different film. But if you want to question your own morality and be taught something about the human condition and the role violence plays, �Funny Games� is for you.

3 1/2 stars out of 5