homersimpson_esq
Posts: 19962
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Springfield
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Death At A Funeral
Went this morning, and it was a toss up between this or The Heartbreak Kid due to time restrictions. I figured this would have fewer curious teenagers (both films were near empty, as it happens). I've liked the Frank Oz films I've seen in the past, in particular Bowfinger and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Death At A Funeral has that relaxed humour that Dirty Rotten Scoundrels had, but within an English family gathering setting. The music is what identifies it within the DRS style of film, although the story is very, very different, and not nearly as funny. It is funny, but on a different level, and tickling a different funny bone.
Matthew MacFadyen re-teams with his old Spooks co-star Keeley Hawes (who reminds me of an older Keira Knightley...) to form the central couple in an eclectically brilliant cast. Peter Vaughan as the curmudgeonly old uncle; Ewen Bremner as the friend trying to get an old one-night-stand to go out with him; Peter Dinklage as the stranger with a surprise; and, most brilliantly, Alan Tudyk keeping his American accent under wraps (better than Bremners does with his toff-accent anyway) as the hallucinating boyfriend of one of the nieces of the dead man. If The Farrelly brothers were to adapt a Jane Austen drama and set it today, it might be a little like this film.
The script is razor-sharp, and the acting is brilliant. The story is limited by its nature, with only one real surprise. There are narrative flaws, but these are forgiveable because you're having so much fun. rather than a bland lead, MacFadyen's character is imbued with a nice personality, with a believable sibling relationship with his brother. In fact, many of the familial relationships are believable - the only thing quirkier than this family is, probably, one's own.
If you're after a light laugh with a better script than a lot of comedies these days, then Death At A Funeral is a fun little film, It's not going to change the world, but these films frequently intend to. It does provide an hour and a half of solid entertainment, and a nice, warm, drug-addled, death-filled, funeral-disrupting comedy.
Acting: 7/10 - a nice bunch of thesps, with stand out performances by Tudyk. Kris Marshall (Nick from My Family) is always funny to watch, and Peters Dinklage and Vaughan nearly run away with the film.
Script: 7/10 - for a limited location, the script is neat with a lot going on - probably things I missed too. It's not too taxing, but it's decent.
Music: 6/10 - reminiscent of DRS, but nothing exceptional. The problem rating music with these sort of films is that it is really an accompaniment with no real dramatic input. Still, for what it is, it complements the film nicely.
Directing: 7/10 - not Oz's finest film, but certainly a worthy entry to the canon.
Success of Intent: 8/10 - this never intended to be more than a light farcical comedy, for a bit of light entertainment, and in that respect it delivers particularly well.
Overall: 35/50 or
70%
< Message edited by homersimpson_esq -- 2/11/2007 3:31:39 PM >
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That deep-browed Homer ruled as his demesne.  TREK WARS |
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Death At A Funeral - 
Totally agree. I'm not usually a fan of farce but thought this was really good fun. I giggled a lot at "It's touch and go. Touch and go" 
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