Death at a Funeral

Don't watch the American remake. This is the version to watch, absolutely hilarious. No spoilers- just watch it and treat yourself to some laughs. 8/10.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect out of this, even though I had enjoyed the trailer in the theater. There had been some comments about cruel humor, which I just didn't see. The story was well structured, with groundwork laid early on for very funny bits much later in the film that got us laughing hard without hitting us over the head with the joke. The moments of comic tension were good, without that excruciating sense that someone was going to be horribly embarrassed, or hurt, or whatever, that American films seem to have. The situation is very well known to everyone who's been to a family funeral, although in America we would have the service in a funeral home or church, and we've all had moments when we want to laugh at the wrong time, or notice something a little out of the ordinary in the service that seems to cry out for comment. My husband, 14 year old daughter and I enjoyed the film immensely, and we all gave it an 8 out of 10, with some good carryover lines to quote amongst ourselves. Go see it, enjoy, and leave the political correctness at home.

Who would expect hallucinogenic drugs, homosexual adultery, human waste (literally), nudity, and much more such unexpected surprises in a funeral? I have always been a fan of Frank Oz's work and this time he directs a black comedy about a dysfunctional family (at a funeral). What I enjoyed about it is the different kinds of humour (slapstick, macabre, toilet, metaphorical...) that all fit together. I do not enjoy the overuse of toilet humour (especially the way it has been done in numerous Hollywood summer movies) but here it is within context and the film itself is full of laugh out loud moments. Oz assembles a host of talented actors that include Keeley Hawes, Andy Nyman, Daisy Donovan, Alan Tudyk, Jane Asher, Kris Marshall, Peter Dinklage and Rupert Graves. I did not expect Matthew Macfadyen to pull off comedy and here he was a funny surprise.

The entire film is set during the funeral and what makes this film different from others of its genre is the comedy and the pace is pretty smooth. Even though some of the comedic situations were over the top (in a good way) none of it looked out of place. It's the kind of film that may not appeal to everyone but those who get it will roll on the floor laughing.

I watched it during a tired evening and I thought I wouldn't be able to sit through it because I was so tired (not because I expected the movie to be bad or anything) but the constant laughing got me energized enough throughout. It's just infectiously hilarious!

This is one of my favourite comedies of all time. The humour is very British, very black and the cast are all superb. Don't watch the American re-make (why??? we speak the same language?) Watch this.

It's been ages since I had such a good time enjoying a movie. While other movies about dysfunctional families are so dramatic and serious, Death at a Funeral makes things brighter and funnier even at a funeral. The characters are not complex, but various - an accidentally drugged men, a hurting widow, a famous writer and his brother who cannot escape the other one's glorious shade, a hypochondric young men, a sever father, a sour old men, a homosexual blackmailer... and much, much chaos. This antithesis between life, with its different forms of manifestation, and death makes Death at a Funeral a juicy mild-black comedy.