Fresh off the international film festival circuit, DEATH AT A FUNERAL - by acclaimed director Frank Oz (IN & OUT, BOWFINGER) - is adark, award-winning comedy that continues to wow audiences. The film boasts a stellar cast bursting with ingenius humour that is at once sophisticated and fun.
The film opens with the somber delivery of a coffin to the august home of the deceased‘s son Daniel, a blocked writer played by Matthew Mcfayden (PRIDE & PREJUDICE), who discovers that the body inside is not, in fact, his father. So begins a string of comedic errors as a second coffin is delivered to the mourning family. Among them is the second son, a pretentious and famous author Robert (Rupert Graves, V FOR VENDETTA); their cousin Martha (Daisy Donovan, MILLIONS) and anxious fiancé Simon (Alan Tudyk, DODGEBALL: A TRUE UNDERDOG STORY, KNOCKED UP). The plot thickens as Daniel‘s wife‘s disdain for his family becomes evident, and Simon‘s hopes to make an impression upon his severe father-in-law cause him to seek relaxation via pharmaceutical drugs; only, he discovers he‘s ingested hallucinogens by accident. A motley crew of chatacters arrive to joint the proceedings, including an inexplicable guest Peter(Peter Dinklage, THE STATION AGENT, UNDERDOG) and a group of British eccentrics, hypochondriacs andfoul-mouthed elderly citizens.
The hilarity ensues in direct correlation to the intesification of the sibling rivalry. Daniel‘sto prepare a eulogy end up in disappointment as the family realizes their eloquent and published relative won‘t be delivering it. Simon‘s hallucinogenic trip allows him to shed more then his inhibitions when he‘s discovered on the roof top without his clothes on.
Finally, family secrets are almost revealed as Peter‘s mysterious presence and relationship to the deceased is discovered. These combined elements soon force the two brothers to work together in desperate hopes of not only burying their dad but also the family skeletons.
Oz‘s ability to convey on screen the way tragedy and crisis bring out the best and worst in even the most apparently functional families DEATH AT A FUNERAL considerable hilarity. The impeccably performed medley of characters is one remarkable element among many in this inordinately funnycomedy, comparable to the hijinx-laden Peter Sellers films and reminiscent of FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, it is fun from start to finish. |
