Death at a Funeral Reviews

Since I have weak spot for Frank Oz work as a director, I was really eager to check this movie, especially since the ratings were actually pretty good. Eventually, even though I really really wanted to like it, I still think that something was missing. I mean, I really loved the concept, the cast (mostly made of unknowns) was really good and there were definitely some funny bits here and there but it just didn't really worked for me. Indeed, during the whole thing, I was waiting for something really hilarious to happen but I didn't happen at all and I thought they were streching the jokes for way too long (for example, when Alan Tudyk takes some drugs by accident, of course, it is funny for the first 5-10 minutes but it goes on and on until the very end of the movie). As a result, since they spend so much time on those jokes, you barely learn anything about the characters and that was too bad. Still, it remains a great concept, to have the whole thing taking place during one funeral which becomes a total disaster and there were many funny scenes (like the first scene with the wrong coffin was just awesome). To conclude, it didn't really blow my mind but it remains a well made and solid comedy with some good old British humor and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

I don't know for other people but i prefer this than the original. I find this film more funnier and humorous.

"All I wanted to do today was to give my father a dignified send-off. Is that really so much to ask?"

Only the English filmmaking industry could successfully employ the concept of a sombre funeral service as a foundation on which to construct an eccentric black comedy. A clever, lively creation, 2007's Death at a Funeral is the latest comedy to be helmed by American director Frank "voice of Yoda" Oz, whose past hits include Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Bowfinger. Despite having been directed by an American, Death at a Funeral retains a distinctly English flavour, as it's blessed with an English country setting, populated by predominantly English actors, and supported by a witty screenplay courtesy of Dean Craig. While clichéd, at times predictable, and occasionally more awkward than funny, Death at a Funeral is an energetic, wily motion picture. Eschewing flimsy gags and flashy special effects in favour of strong comedic performances and a brisk pace, Oz has crafted a top-notch black comedy.

At the centre of Death at a Funeral is real-life married couple Matthew Macfadyen and Keeley Hawes playing Daniel and Jane; the film's straight men who exist to navigate through the madness that is to come. As the film opens, Daniel is trying to get a funeral underway to give his deceased father a dignified send-off. Daniel is soon joined by a cavalcade of family and friends who are gathering to pay their respects. Plenty of chaotic events unfold throughout the course of a few hours as the eccentric supporting cast are introduced, each of whom have their own troubles to deal with.

The stories of the respective characters play out simultaneously, with the camera leaping from one to the next. It's chaotic, to be sure, and some of the characters are not given enough to do, but this permits a glorious fast pace. With the oddball scenarios, the frenetic antics and the protagonist's struggle to maintain normality, Death at a Funeral is at times notably reminiscent of the classic UK television series Fawlty Towers, except it's without the manic genius of John Cleese. On that note, Death at a Funeral is not as funny as it had the potential to be. It's more of a mild torrent of hilarity than an all-out laugh-fest from beginning to end. Worse, there are flat jokes, with situations that are dark and uncomfortable rather than funny. Due to this, Death at a Funeral received a fairly mixed reception. One's taste for black comedies will determine whether you're a fan, a hater, or somebody in between.

Expanding upon the lack of laughs, Death at a Funeral demands patience, as the first half is lacklustre in the humour department. There are a few laughs, sure, but the pickings are slim for the better part of 40 minutes. Fortunately, though, even during its barren stretches, Death at a Funeral remains watchable and entertaining. Director Oz and screenwriter Craig managed to infuse the film with a pervasively affable atmosphere that effectively compensates for the less-than-hilarious nature of the film's first half. Added to this, the filmmakers managed to do something rare: build momentum. The nearer the film gets to the end credits, the faster and more furious the jokes come. Granted, there's a bit of unnecessary bathroom humour and nudity, but the movie never sinks into the realm of bad taste. Oz and Craig even inserted a eulogy towards the film's end that's heartfelt and touching without seeming forced, tacked-on, or out of place.

Admittedly, the picture is populated with the type of stock characters one would expect to see in a film like this: the cad, the comic relief, the invalid, the favourite son, and so on. Yet, these roles were brought to life by such an ideal cast that it barely matters. Matthew Macfadyen is a terrific straight man capable of delivering side-splitting dialogue without ever seeming in on the joke. Meanwhile, American actor Alan Tudyk (of Firefly and Serenity fame) steals the show here as a character who ingests a potent LSD mixture and gets involved in hilarious shenanigans as a consequence. Veteran character actor Peter Vaughan also deserves full props for effortlessly pulling off the role of Uncle Alfie; a handicapped old man who has a profane expression for every situation. Adding to the insanity is Andy Nyman as the hypochondriac who's constantly left to deal with Alfie, a rubber-faced Ewan Bremner who spends his time at the funeral trying to win back his now-engaged former love interest, and a funny Rupert Graves as Daniel's well-respected brother, just to name a few. Frankly, I feel bad leaving some of the cast members out, as all of the actors are just terrific. Had John Cleese wandered into this funeral, he would have been right at home.

Death at a Funeral is most definitely a black comedy in the traditional sense, as humour is mined from grim situations. It's not perfect, but the positive aspects far outweigh the negatives. With a uniformly strong cast complementing the witty script, this is a lively, enjoyable and sophisticated piece of filmmaking. It's not as laugh-out-loud funny as it had the potential to be, but at least it at no point grows tiresome or aggravating, and that's more than what can be said for most contemporary comedies. Unfortunately, an American remake of the film was released in 2010, and the results were predictably dire.

7.3/10

A few years back this film was recommended to me by a random person at the Renaissance Fair but I had forgotten all about it until I saw the trailer for the remake earlier this year. It's a real shame I didn't make more of an effort to see it earlier because, besides the fact that it is a fairly entertaining film, the trailers for the American version pretty much spoiled all the pivotal scenes and primary jokes (the British trailer may as well, but because its older and foreign, I didn't have occasion to see it randomly in theaters). It's a real shame because I probably would've liked it much more if I didn't see everything coming.

That said, it was still a good movie. It's a very mild movie for the most part and thus enjoyable compared to a lot of comedies these days which basically scream at you to laugh at them. I reckon the funeral stuff is bound to be a drawing point for some, but its hard for me to judge that since my family works in the funeral business so such subjects no longer seem odd to me.
The acting is good, and I did find it neat that Alan Tudyk played the drugged boyfriend, partially because he was an American playing British, and partially because he's "that guy from Firefly".

In anycase its always nice to see a family more dysfunctional than yours, and if you like a nice dark comedy (and British humor) then you'll probably like this. I certainly think its worth seeing.

A dysfunctional British family attends a funeral, where secrets are revealed and hilarious chaos ensues!

Let me just start by saying this: If you aren't into dry humor or dark humor, you will most likely dislike this movie a lot. I happen to love both, so I highly enjoyed it. Like a lot of dark comedies out there, or should I say most out there, the plot has death ensuing all the chaos and hilarious mishaps. With The Big Nothing, The Big White, and Very Bad Things being a few to point out. I personally can't get enough dark humor movies, and really wish there were more to be honest.

Death At A Funeral has a very basic premise, with a family attending a funeral of a relative, and a lot of things going wrong. The funniest thing involves a small man that nobody seems to know, which I will not go into detail about (spoilers of course).

The comedic material used in this movie is pretty similar to that of The Office UK, or the US version for that matter. It takes awhile to get used to, but when it sinks in, it sure is great.

When your talking about characters in film, you want something to remember, and Death at a funeral brings that to the table big time. There are certain characters that will annoy you a lot, and other characters that you will never forget. It has a great mix.

Once this movie really begins to unfold, it's difficult not to enjoy. It's a very good dark comedy, and most likely will be on my shelves once I get the chance.

Give this film a try!

7.1/10

The BBC website describes 'Death At A Funeral' as a desperate bid to marry a Richard Curtis comedy of middle-class manners with the taste-free gross-out style of the Farrelly Brothers. I can't say I really like those directors, but I can say I enjoyed this. Any film that can combine midget wrestling, hallucinogenic drugs and scatology at a funeral and still retain some class deserves some praise. The cast on paper we're not a huge pull in my decision to watch the movie, but there were a few surprises, mainly Daisy Donovan whom I thought was excellent here. Death At A Funeral is a welcome return to the British farcical comedies of old.