Death at a FuneralSian's Film ReviewRated M
Death at a Funeral is your typical British farce. A conservative (yet dysfunctional) English family attempt to hold a home funeral, yet everything imaginable goes wrong. From the delivery of the wrong body, to the arrival of a blackmailing dwarf; the series of unfortunate events never seem to let up. Screenwriter Dean Craig hasn’t exactly exhausted himself here. Death at a Funeral is certainly nothing ground breaking. It plays on overused stereotypes (the rude old relative/rivaling siblings/dysfunctional families/accidental drug taking… need I go on?!) Yet although these stereotypes may produce a roll of the eyes upon introduction, thanks to the comic brilliance of the ensemble cast and some careful direction, (Kudos to Frank Oz) you soon forget you’ve seen them all before. The film is very simple yet ingenious, with the laughs coming thick and fast. Yet it’s not just about one-liners. The cast is made up of around 10 leads, yet all have clearly defined and developed characters, none appear as mere ‘scene stuffers’. I saw this film upon many recommendations. I had been told it was - and I quote: “the funniest film of the year”. So needless to say my expectations were very high, but I was not disappointed. You won’t be either. Verdict: This movie puts the F U N in Funeral. A hilarious comedy – yes, perhaps it is one of the funniest of the year - guaranteed to generate real belly laughs in even the most subdued of viewers. Go see it! Rating: 3.5 out of 5 |
The British get comedy right. Full stop, no returns. After the recent flood of feeble American comedies, and the onslaught of blood and guts films, it’s refreshing to have an enjoyable piece of cinema finally hit our screens!