Director: Frank Oz Writer: Dean Craig Genre: Comedy - Drama Country: USA/Germany/UK/Netherlands Certification: 15+ Language: English Released: 25th February, 2008 (DVD)
MAIN CAST: Matthew Macfadyen (Daniel) Keeley Hawes (Jane) Andy Nyman (Howard) Ewen Bremner (Justin) Daisy Donovan (Martha) Alan Tudyk (Simon Smith) Jane Asher (Sandra) Kris Marshall (Troy) Rupert Graves (Robert) Peter Egan (Victor) Peter Dinklage (Peter)
Daniel, who has spent his life living with his parents, and whose wife is desperate to leave his family home, has one more task to complete before he and his wife can move out and begin their new life together - he needs to bury his father.
After having made arrangements for the funeral and brought the family together, Daniel's painstakingly meticulous plans quickly go awry when the casket delivered to the family estate contains the body of a strange man, one of the guests unknowingly ingests a hallucinogenic drug, his selfish brother tells him he doesn't have the money to pay for half the funeral, his wife badgers him to make a deposit on the flat she wants them to purchase (unaware that their funds have been seriously depleted by the funeral), a cantankerous uncle insists on being as loud and difficult as possible, the impatient preacher is desperate to get the funeral service over with and, last but definitely not least, a dwarf-sized man, whom Daniel has never seen before, insists that they need to talk.
'Death At A Funeral' is, without a doubt, the best comedy I have seen this year. The acting is positively superb, the script is witty and fast-paced, the language slightly crude at times, the subject matter a bit dark - but that's what British comedy is all about - it's humour with a bite!
There is no grand-scale budget attached to this movie, the movie having been shot pretty much in one location, but that is what's so darned brilliant about this movie - it's not about the scenery, nor the special-effects or camera shots, it's all about the acting and the comedy, the clever dialogue, the chaotic mixture of characters ranging from upper-crust snobs to downright weirdoes, and the surreal circumstances surrounding it all.
This is British comedy at its best. Whatever you do, don't miss it!
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Soundtrack
Unmemorable
How does it compare to others by the same director?
Not applicable
Value for Money
Excellent
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