Review of Funny Games

Open on an SUV towing a sailboat down a highway to the tune of opera music while a man and woman guess at song titles. The voiceovers are annoying - almost grating and hokey - but then, these are the voices of rich people, members of the leisure class on their way to a lake home. The couple, George (Tim Roth) and Anna (Naomi Watts), and their son, Georgie (Devon Gearhart), wave to some neighbors out golfing with two young men and arrive at their Thomasville-furnished home.

The family seems picture-perfect in this idyllic paradise until the two young men from next door, clad in white and wearing politely unmentioned gloves, arrive to “borrow eggs.” Of course these men, known as Peter (Brady Corbet) and Paul (Michael Pitt), are sociopathic murderers determined to have some cruel fun with the family.

So begins a struggle for survival spearheaded by the indomitable Anne. Watts (also a producer of the film) could be commendable in this performance if she didn’t do what she does in every movie: take off her clothes and cry. With her lack of “jelly rolls” and streaming nose, this role seems to be a perfect showcase for Watts’ talents. Roth, recalling a scene from Reservoir Dogs, manages to put on an even better hysterical performance than Watts. Maybe it can be chalked up to good acting, but both George and Anne become so irritating by the halfway mark of the film that their torture seems well-deserved. Corbet and the creepily charismatic Pitt are brilliant in their “Beavis and Butthead” interplays (an apt comparison from the movie) and Pitt drives the film along, on pace with his games.

The only weak moments of the film come mainly when the camera is focused on George and Anne. Juxtaposed with the severely intense first hour of the film, the following elongated scene of Anne turning off the TV and struggling to stand up seems like an ungainly intermission. Paul also unexpectedly addresses the camera and even goes so far as to play with the editing - bizarre but innocuous additions to the tone of the film. An obvious but effective ploy is that of the collision between opera and thrash metal at the start of the film, foreshadowing the plot. It is this and the final scene, clean and unsettling, which set (and reset) the mood, convincing me that overall, Funny Games is actually a pretty fun movie.

Review of Penelope

Penelope is a fanciful and charming film about a girl who is born with a pig nose and, in true fairytale fashion, must find true love despite her unusual appearance. The story begins when a witch places a curse on the wealthy Wilhern family, ensuring all their daughters will be born with piggish facial features. Luckily, the family went through five generations of birthing only sons, but then Penelope is born. Unable to have plastic surgery because a major artery runs directly through her nose, Penelope is hidden inside her family’s mansion and her mother fakes Penelope’s death in an effort to discourage prying eyes.

There is a stipulation, however, that the family curse can be lifted if one of Penelope’s “own kind” falls in love with her. So Penelope’s mother (Catherine O’Hara) assembles a long line of affluent suitors, hoping that one of them will accept her daughter (or be placated by a large dowry). Each of the men end up being horrified by Penelope’s appearance and some even jump through windows to avoid her company. One such faint-hearted suitor is Edward Vanderman (Simon Woods), who is assumed to be insane for his hysterics after leaving the Wilhern estate. In an effort to restore his reputation, Edward joins forces with diligent reporter Lemon (Peter Dinklage) to secure proof of Penelope’s existence. They hire Max (James McAvoy), an aristocrat with gambling debts, to pose as a potential suitor and snap a picture of Penelope. The plan goes awry when Max develops feelings for Penelope and Penelope decides to run away and experience the real world.

Out in public for the first time, Penelope wears a scarf to hide her nose and is befriended by Annie (Reese Witherspoon), a brash and streetwise delivery driver. All things come to a head when Penelope’s parents track her down, the curse becomes public, and Max must overcome his own uncertainties to give the movie its expected fairytale ending.

Set in an otherworldly London, the film’s look is part Tim Burton, part Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, The Orphanage), and even part Wes Anderson (specifically recalling The Royal Tenenbaums). Director Mark Palansky employs just the right amount of darkness to make Penelope a modern fable that will apply to audiences beyond preteen girls. With excellent acting, a sweet and engaging plot, and a trendy air, Penelope is as pleasant, plucky, and likeable as its title character.