On Sunday afternoon, Marcia and I watched “Death at a Funeral”, a British comedy directed by Frank Oz.
Thanks to Guy Bellinger and IMDB for the plot description (with a few changes):
Daniel is a decent young man, married to Jane, still living with his parents. When his father dies, it is up to him to organize his funeral. On this painful morning, with a suitable grave expression on his face, Daniel is ready to welcome his father’s friends and relatives. But preserving the dignity inherent in such circumstances will be a hard task. Particularly with an undertaker who botches his work, the return from the USA of his famous but selfish brother, his cousin’s fiancé who has accidentally ingested drugs, the presence of a moron who takes advantage of the sad event to win back the heart (or rather the body) of a woman who is about to marry another, and of a handicapped old uncle who is also the most unbearable pain in the neck. To cap it all, Daniel notices the presence among the mourners of a mysterious dwarf nobody else seems to know.
Unlike some other books or movies that come from the land of Britain, this can be easily digested by those not as up on the British-isms. Sure, it could be redone and packaged to be more “American”, but one of the best qualities of English humor is being subtle and dry. An American version would be more slapstick and incorporate someone like Will Farrell or Jim Carey as the “fiancé who has accidentally ingested drugs” making it wackier.
However, this also isn’t a all-out laugh-fest either. It was very good, but not fantastic. There are some deeper feelings displayed then just to make the comedy work. At times it moved a little slower then I expected. On the flip side of that though it also provided some shocking moments, especially the comments coming out of the mouth of the handicapped Uncle Alfie.
I really wasn’t sure what to expect of the movie, and think I got more out of it then I expected. It’s good for some great laughs, and made for an enjoyable, and quick, movie watching experience.
Recent Comments