Death at a Funeral Reviews

• Hilarious Romp Through Unlikely Subject Material

  
  By A328S9RN3U5M68 on 2008-02-29
  Like so many others this viewer avoided the theatrical release and deferred to the DVD release of DEATH AT A FUNERAL, thinking that a comic take on a potentially morbid subject might not be very entertaining. Couldn't have been more wrong! This is the kind of humor the Brits do so well - intelligent, expertly delivered dialog and action that can make even the most unlikely situations hilarious. Writer Dean Craig and Director Frank Oz have created a farce and have put this tongue in cheek situation in the hands of some the best of the British actors. The result is a spinning top that only gradually allows the viewer to breathe from laughing during the clever final credits.
  
  The father of a very dysfunctional family has died and son Daniel (Matthew MacFadyen) and his wife Jane (Keeley Hawes) have agreed to host the funeral. After the mortuary first delivers the wrong corpse the tone is set for all the wrong things to happen. The arriving family is a bizarre clan of characters - a novelist living beyond his means in New York (Rupert Graves), a man who unwittingly mistakes an hallucinogen for Valium and ends up on a trip that entertains all, a 'drug distributor', a crotchety old man with toilet problems, and the usual stuffy and goofy associates that so often populate the British comedies. And when it seems as though little else could support sanity, up pops a figure form the US (Peter Dinklage) with a secret about the deceased and proceeds to cause a situation that becomes the focal point of this zany funeral.
  
  Saying too much about each of the characters diminishes the surprises that abound. Were it not for the fact that each of the actors in the film is 'top drawer' this little movie could have become mawkish or tasteless, but this cast and director have produced one of the most refreshingly funny films of the past year. Grady Harp, February 08
  
  

• Laugh Till You Drop

  
  By AQSQLWD3NLMAS on 2007-09-20
  Director Frank Oz [aka Oznowicz] was actually born in England, and he was raised in America. A very talented actor, with 104 film appearances on his resume -he also specialized in "voice work". He and Jim Henson created the whole MUPPETS phenomenon. He created multiple characters, the most famous of which were Kermit and Miss Piggy. He is equally well known for being the voice of Yoda for the George Lucas STAR WARS series. As a director he has made 14 films, varying from THE DARK CRYSTAL (1982), through the classic fun of WHAT ABOUT BOB? (1991). All the way across the spectrum to the crime thriller, THE SCORE (2001), with Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, and Marlon Brando. DEATH AT A FUNERAL (2007) represents his triumphant return to comedy; and what a dark and delicious foray it is.
  
  A farce of the first order, this film is about a normally dysfunctional family who are forced to confront each other at a patriarch's funeral. The amazing script was written by Dean Craig. He is a young writer/director with only four films to his credit. In 2003 he gave us DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS. His script for FUNERAL was filled with wafts, even wads of wit, had terrific internal timing, a solid structure and plot, with a delectable and irreverent sense of humor. It is a film so completely farcical that I believe it could be produced on stage, in live theatre. All those slamming doors, crossed-over plotlines, and zany characters would lend themselves to some outrageous theatrical moments.
  
  Attending the film I was happy to give in to the instant giddiness that most of the audience immediately lapsed into -beginning to titter and then guffaw while the opening credits were still rolling. If laughter is the "best medicine", and we all know that it is, then this film should be mandatory viewing, and the tickets should look like a medical prescription pad. Viewing this film is definitely good for "what ails you."
  
  Lost love, mistaken identities, bumbling morticians, caskets that come alive, those terrible and dark secrets regarding the patriarch's "special needs", hallucinogenic bursts of inhibition, nudity, toilet hi-jinks, suppressed sex, unrepressed sex, deviant sex, pregnancy, predispositions and misunderstandings, jealousy, an ice queen for a wife and mother, a Spartacus toga party, a centurion's costume, an unpublished novel, harping, cajoling, bondage, wrestling, roof-romping, with enough turnabouts, fop haws, reversals, and surprises to flesh out three other comedic films, plus a really excellent cast -makes this darkest of drawing room comedies land on its dancing feet somewhere lodged half way between Oscar Wilde and Noel Coward, or say George Bernard Shaw and Harold Pinter, who is emulating Carl Reiner, who collaborated with Mel Brooks, after consulting with Woody Allen. This solid little film my not be tinged with "greatness", but it is absolutely the funniest evening I have spend in the theater this year.
  
  
  

• Black is Black

  
  By A3NH7PYU4AD5GA on 2008-02-24
  This movie was recommended to us by a friend of my wife's, who usually has no idea about movies. (E.g. she liked Hairspray! Imagine!)
  I learned from this experience, that you can not trust anything or anybody. Her recommendation was dead on! But don't believe anything else, definitely not the Amazon product description. These people have no clue, or their job is deceiving the customers.
  Don't believe the film title either. Just be prepared for an outrageous, tasteless, incorrect perfect amusement.
  P.S. totally forgot to mention, the film is very English, but maybe its charm has been enhanced by the fact that there is a certain American influence. Isn't the director American? Too lazy to check. And definitely the blackmailer is American. (see, more blackness!) Mixtures are often more attractive!
  
  
  

• Sneaks Up And Surprises You

  
  By A2ATWKOFJXRRR1 on 2007-10-05
  The great thing about DEATH AT A FUNERAL is that there really is something for everyone. From brief bathroom humor to dark jokes, it's all there, laid out by UK-born director Frank Oz.
  
  The title itself is a bit misleading, in that you would think it to be more horror-ish or dramatic. The words "Death" and "Funeral" don't normally make you skip to the theater thinking "Oh boy! Let's go watch this funny movie!" For that, I would fault only the production person who stamped the name on it. But that would be my only one; one which has nothing to do with the rest of this riotously funny film.
  
  Like a snake creeping upon its prey, Death at a Funeral also slowly makes its way along, never lurching or jumping ahead of itself, building the comedic moments one upon the other. Starting out (as all the trailers have shown) with Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen) standing in his livingroom, watching his father's coffin being delivered in preparation for a British homestyle service. But once the coffin is open, Daniel states, "That's not my father." The funeral home quickly whisks away the casket and returns with the right one. This gradual sinking in of dark comedy holds the film together exceptionally well.
  
  We're then introduced to the rest of the cast...
  
  Jane (Keeley Hawes, Tristram Shandy - A Cock and Bull Story), Daniel's wife who's pressuring him to buy a flat in the city and leave his now widowed mother with his successful brother in New York.
  
  Simon (Alan Tudyk, Serenity), who is arriving at the funeral with his soon-to-be wife and is stressed about meeting (again) his future father-in-law, so is accidentally given a pill thought to be valium but, in reality, turns out to be a powerful hallucinogenic. This sends Simon on a running joke throughout the film, including periods of catatonia, color fascinations, and rooftop nudity.
  
  Uncle Alfie (Peter Vaughan, KISS KISS BANG BANG), a crotchety old fart who's brought to the funeral in a wheelchair only to find himself with explosively needy bowels and the witness to a possible murder.
  
  Peter (Peter Dinklage), a midget-of-a-man with big life aspirations who comes to the funeral not only to mourn the death of a close "friend," but to also get what "he deserves" from the family.
  
  There are other perpetrators in the film, too, but these are the main ones who's paths cross just about everyone else's.
  
  The film's short 90 minute run time is excellent in that none of the funnies are overdone. They have their moment and are either tossed aside or folded over into the film's grand finale. The number one folding in of jokes has to be the faux-valium pill bottle that gets lost and re-lost only to spring up at the most hilarious moments.
  
  This is a laugh-a-minute film that has perfect comedic timing and crucial usage of British pompous humor, along with dark moments that will make watchers cringe and giggle at the same time.
  
  

• Very British Comedy with a Few American Touches

  
  By A3M2WW0PO34B94 on 2007-08-27
  "Death at a Funeral", the new film from director Frank Oz ("In and Out", Dirty Rotten Scoundrels") is a pretty good tribute to the British comedies we used to see with more consistency. A droll, black sense of humor, characters who are as wacky as others are steadfast and the use of a setting we are all familiar with used in an unfamiliar way all help to give this film a whacked out sensibility. But it isn't above moments of crass, bathroom humor and these bring it down.
  
  Daniel (Matthew McFadyen, TV's "MI:5", "Pride & Prejudice") and his wife, Jane (Keely Hawes, TV's "MI:5") are living at home with his father and mother when his father dies. They await the arrival of the rest of the family for the funeral. Soon, the house is filled and they have to deal with all of the craziness in everyone's life. Daniel's brother, John (Rupert Graves), a published writer, flies in from New York, first class, and claims he doesn't have any money to help out with the funeral costs. Martha (Daisy Donovan), Daniel's cousin, and her fiancée, Simon (Alan Tudyk) stop by to pick up her brother, Troy (Kris Marshall, "Love Actually"). Simon is a wreck, because Martha's father has never liked him, so Martha decides to give him a Valium she finds in Troy's apartment. The only problem is that Troy is a minor drug dealer and the Valium is in fact a hallucinogen. Then, Peter (Peter Dinklage, "The Station Agent") shows up for the service. Daniel doesn't recognize him and is surprised when he asks if they can speak alone. Peter reveals some information to the son of the deceased, which causes everything to spiral out of control.
  
  Directed by Frank Oz, an American director and former Muppeteer, "Death at a Funeral" has all the markings on a dark British comedy. It is strange that an American film director would make such a film, but Oz seems to be a good choice; "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" has many similar elements. Despite the broad moments in his comedies, they do share a certain sensibility with the early work or Peter Sellers or Alec Guiness. In "Death", Oz dials down the comedy significantly, making it darker, more subtle, more tongue in cheek, more British.
  
  The mood of the film is set early on. The undertakers arrive with Daniel's father and set the coffin in the viewing room. They open the casket and Daniel looks inside. "Who's that? That's not my father." They have brought the wrong body. They take the casket away and return later with the right body.
  
  The real comedic standout in the film is Alan Tudyk who plays Simon, Martha's nervous fiancée. Just as they arrive at the country estate, the drugs he has unwittingly ingested begin to take hold and he starts to stare at leaves and flowers. Martha doesn't really know what to make of her boyfriend. During the ceremony, he causes a delay and Martha's father, Victor, dislikes him even more. Through the course of the film, Simon becomes more distraught and more unhinged as the full effects of the drug take place.
  
  Simon is the broadest character, but even this is minor when compared to some comedic roles in American films. The major laughs of this character come from his actions in the environment of this country house funeral. Everyone else is trying to remain very proper and respectful as Simon climbs naked on roofs.
  
  Matthew McFadyen and Keely Hawes are both good, but they are basically the straight men for the rest of the cast. Daniel and Jane are trying to maintain an air of respectability, and Daniel's known as the `respectable' (boring) son. When Peter makes himself known to Daniel, Daniel begins to act a bit wacky, but the role is still relatively low key.
  
  As the story progresses and the characters begin to spiral out of control, the action becomes even more funny because people are acting completely at odds to the setting. When you see a large country house in the English countryside, you think everyone will be acting very proper. When they don't, it creates funny situations and a lot of laugher. This is really the key with most great British comedies. They make fun of themselves, planting tongue firmly in cheek and casting their eye on themselves.
  
  "Death at a Funeral" is not a great film. It can't seem to distance itself from scatological humor; an elderly wheelchair bound Uncle (Peter Vaughn) needs help to get to the bathroom and a family friend Howard (Andy Nyman) seems designated to help him. The situation leads to Howard getting feces on his hand and face. Oz seems to think this is funny, but it is just gross and seems completely at odds with the rest of the film.
  
  "Death at a Funeral" is not a laugh a minute, but is a very humorous and enjoyable diversion. It is a film perfectly suited for DVD rental.
  
  
  
• A truly wonderful and intelligent comedy.
  By A1D3XQC2DIT on 2007-09-24
  When I went into this movie, I knew nothing about it. I believe that this is the best way to see this particular movie. I sometimes prefer not to know, but I legitimately hadn't heard of this movie before it came out. I saw it under a recommendation of, "Hey, we saw this movie last night and it was very funny." That was all it took.
  
  There were very few recognizable faces, and only one actor whose name I knew. The story was ridiculous and heart-warming all wrapped up together. For a movie that featured neither the comedic styling of Mel Brooks nor many (if any) "inappropriate" jokes, I am not sure I have ever laughed that hard at a movie. Consider, if you will, that Death at a Funeral is like Meet the Parents (Widescreen Special Edition), but funnier...and intelligent.
  
  If you need/want to know what the movie was about, I won't deprive you. But if you will head my recommendation, stop reading here and enjoy the movie.
  
  The movie:
  A son attempts what would be a routine funeral for his father, but for a few unforeseen factors. This seemingly prim and proper British family may just be as flawed and...well, normal as any other family. An unfamiliar face in the crowd tries to blackmail the family, a promising young man who is trying to marry into the family accidentally takes enough hallucinogenic drugs to kill a small animal, and everyone keeps asking why the son instead of his author-for-a-brother will provide the eulogy. Family and friends come together to mourn and pay their respects to a man that they all thought they knew. What happens could never have been expected.
  
  
• not funny at all
  By A25WXIWERQKEY8 on 2008-03-02
  What a disappointment. My wife and I sat through an hour of this sad excuse for a comedy and didn't laught once. If your idea of hilarity includes the wrong coffin being delivered to a funeral, an old man in a wheelchair using the f-word, or accidental ingestion of halucinogenic drugs, knock yourself out. My recommendation: don't bother. You have much better things to do with a couple of hours.
  
  
• Unfunny
  By A1ZVXHA4ZKZRR7 on 2008-03-02
  I saw this movie on a reccomendation from a friend. It was boring, predictable, and the jokes were just trite. Slapstick comedy in the worst way, and there was not an ounce of wit to the script whatsoever. It presented filler situations such as a drug trip, some crass old man in a wheelchair, etc...and tried to pass it off as humor.
  
  I expected a witty British comedy, but what you have is a poorly done American comedy disguised as a British comedy. Do not waste your time.
  
  
• My husband and I laughed so hard I thought one of us was going to burst something
  By A3AVJCB1ZD6ZY5 on 2007-09-01
  What can you say about a film that starts off with the mortician delivering the wrong body to the family? Like so many well-intended family events, "Death at a Funeral" just keeps going downhill from there.
  
  Brothers Daniel (McFadyen) and Robert (Graves), are quarreling over who is to pay the bills for the funeral. Daniel and his wife Jane (Keeley Hawes) want to get out of the family house and buy their own flat. Robert, the best selling NY based novelist thinks Daniel and Jane have 'sponged off the family too much.'
  
  Martha (Daisy Donovan) is bringing Simon (Alan Tudyk) to meet her family for the first time and tell the folks they are going to get married. Unfortunately, Simon's nervous and Martha gives him what she thinks ia a Valium from her little brother Troy (Kris Marshall) stuff. Turns out, that pill wasn't a Valium--it was a hallucinogenic as strong as LSD and Simon is not making the kind of impression he'd like to have made on his future family.
  
  Then, of course, there's the blackmail attempt from the decedent's former lover, the crotchety old uncle, and more. It's just one crazy madcap adventure after another. We barely stopped laughing to catch our breath between episodes.
  
  I may well go back and see this film in the theatre before the run is off. I'm certainly going to buy "Death at a Funeral" in DVD.
  
  
  
  
• Try To Keep A Stiff Upper Lip
  By A1TPW86OHXTXFC on 2008-03-29
  "With a circus parade of mourning Brits and enough appalling circumstances to set proper Englishness back to the Dark Ages, "Death at a Funeral" pits decorum against sex, drugs and dysfunction. The winners? Auds who know you laugh hardest when you're not supposed to, and who appreciate the humorous qualities of embarrassment, blackmail and the twitting of the upper classes." John Anderson
  
  This is decidedly a British humour film. The distance between pretension and crazy humour is not too far apart. The upper crust with their stiff upper lips seem to crack a bit. The patriarch of the house has gone and died. His British gentry friends and his family gather to say good-bye. The stoic older son who with his wife have been living in the family stead, is set to bring off this funeral with dignity. The anxiety he feels is palpable and then his younger brother, the famed novelist from the US arrives and upsets his world again. Into the mix arrives his cousin Martha with her fiancee who has unknowingly ingested a hallucinogen and goes mildly mad. The old debilitated uncle arrives via his wheel chair with two friends one gay and one well, just nerdy. And, one of the little people arrives whom it appears has a secret to sell. Needless to say the funeral goes berserk- a naked wild man on the roof, the little person bound and gagged, the minister who must leave urgently and the family dispositions come undone. It is all serious to the family and guests but to those of us looking on it is a hilarious romp- I found myself laughing out loud through much of the film.
  
  The performances were superb. The staid son, Daniel is played by Matthew Macfadyen with perfection. His wife, Keeley Hawes, who wants a promise that they will put a down payment on the promised flat, plays her role with subtlety. The bereaved mother and wife, Jane Asher, wants no one to upstage her. Rupert Graves, the novelist is a supercilious brat. Martha, Daisy Donovan, steals the movie with her ability to be seriously funny while trying to convince her fiancee, Simon, Alan Tudyk to put his clothes on. Martha's father, Victor played by Peter Egan, is the epitome of the English gentry, a snob.
  
  As a farce this often goes over the top, but we forgive the writer and director because we have tears rolling down our cheeks from laughter.
  
  Highly Recommended. prisrob 03-29-08
  
  Almost Strangers
  
  Where Angels Fear to Tread
  
  
  
• I about died laughing . . .
  By A1X1UZWUIDHCJ5 on 2007-09-23
  It's a very funny film. If you're in the mood to laugh, go see this hysterical romp about a man trying to give his late father a dignfied funeral that quickly turns into a living nightmare. Great performances from the entire cast, especially Alan Tudyk (who reveals a very nice backside--I can say that on Amazon, can't I?--in case that may interest you; he also delivers a performance of comic perfection--I LOVED him), Daisy Donovan, Matthew MacFadyen and Peter Dinklage. If I laugh out loud during a film, that's a very good sign--and I was quite vocal during this flick. "Death at a Funeral" is a cross between an old-fashioned screwball comedy (think "Bringing Up Baby") and a pitch black comedy (think "Harold & Maude)--it's delightful--if you have this kind of twisted sense of humor. I do--and I highly recommend you go see this film right now or watch it when it comes out on DVD!
  
  
• True to life hysterically funny
  By A3CTGUJSLH5G36 on 2007-09-01
  My partner and I loved this movie. We laughed our butts off. Very British Humor at its very best. This is a movie I cannot wait to purchase on DVD when it becomes available. Do yourselves a favor and see it. If you are depressed you will see for yourself that eccentricities are not just something you have but ALL OF US HAVE! You will love it.
  
  
• One of the funniest I've ever seen
  By AJYGQV81FSFE2 on 2007-09-08
  My spouse and I went to a theatre under the false impression that something else was showing. Oh well, we felt. It looks good. So we decided to see this one.
  
  From the very beginning, when the undertakers brought the wrong body to the funeral, we were laughing. One of those attending the funeral had a collection of drugs to make Keith Richards jealous. His sister gave what she thought was valium to her fiance. It turned out the drug was a hallucinogen.
  
  In fact, the guy who acted the part of the stoned character should get the "best actor" award. He was fabulous.
  
  What's the PC word for a "dwarf" these days? Whatever that it, there is a short character who exposes a few flaws in the--character--of the deceased. The interaction including and related to him is hysterical.
  
  I'm not sure what else to say that wouldn't give too much away. Suffice it to way your side will hurt you'll be laughing so hard.
  
  There were times it bordered on slapstick, but the English to a better job of slapstick than we Yanks do. The actors fit together remarkably well. Indeed, you'll still be laughing through the credits at the end when they depict that characters during an outtake or two.
  
  Don't miss it if you're in need of a laugh. This is a gem!
  
  
• Fall-out-of-your-seat funny!
  By A12I00NZBESYBE on 2007-10-20
  I thought "Death at a Funeral" was one of the most intelligently written, funny movies I've seen in a long time. After seeing it four times, I continue to find things that I missed the first three times.
  
  
• funniest movie ever
  By A7X89JKIK50MK on 2007-10-27
  Some reviewers are a bit too stuffy to enjoy a movie like this it seems. Too often we see movies that are called "comedies" but are full of silly half jokes that arent funny and you go away dejected while the critics seem pleased that there is something rather intelligent about the whole thing.
  
  This is about the funniest movie ever. I laughed from beginning to end and so did most in the audience. It was simply hillarious. If you want to see a proper comedy that will make you laugh, this is it.
  
  Dont worry about what the idiot critics think. Go and watch, you will come out having laughed more than you have in a while.
  
  
• British Black Comedy at its Best
  By A3OEECMCM2T4KQ on 2007-12-09
  Director Frank Oz (The Stepford Wifes, What About Bob and the voice of Yoda in the Star Wars films) combined with the writing talent of Dean Craig (Lift, Dirty Little Secrets) have created one of the most unrelenting British comedy's that has been created in years. What I mean by `unrelenting' is the non-stop jokes and hilarious situations where the audience simply cannot stop laughing from start to finish. Death at a Funeral is an absolute riot.
  
  One could also propose that this film is a fine example of British black comedy that the British are famous for...
  
  Daniel (Matthew MacFayden) does a superb job as the son of his recently departed father, attempting to do the right thing while chaos explodes all around him.
  
  The film begins as the undertakers' bring the coffin to the home for the eulogy to find that they have brought the wrong body, having to rush back in time with the correct one.
  
  The successful novelist brother (Andrew Nyman) arrives from New York only to be complaining about first class air travel, and immediately commits a faux pas, sending his mother away in tears. Successful though selfish, he will not pay for half of the funeral expenses because of recently renovating his Manhattan penthouse.
  
  We see the sibling rivalry between the two: Daniel the want to be writer and Howard the successful one; however success does not necessarily equate to a good heart which Daniel has in abundance.
  
  A mysterious dwarf appears at the service who continually stares at Daniel until we find out about the little man's relationship with the deceased.
  
  The film picks up from here with a hallucinogen mistaken for valium and the antics of those affected by the drug only makes the entire afternoon a string of comedic errors and laugh-out-loud- antics.
  
  Absolutely the most hilarious film I've seen in 2007.
  
  A solid 5 stars.
  
  
• Death at a Funeral DVD
  By A3JAO52WZ1SE3Y on 2007-12-27
  I have been waiting for this movie to be released on DVD. I am a HUGH Matthew Macfayden fan so that made me want to see this film. I have to say that this movie is beyond funny. There were times I was laughing so hard I was crying. This will be a movie I will watch whenever I need a good laugh. I highly recommend this film.
  
  
  
• Must see!
  By A2PMQTYJB9HLYP on 2008-02-18
  Finally! I saw this movie in the theatres on a whim and have been dying to see it again. Absolutely the funniest movie I have seen in years. Now THIS is a comedy.
  
  
• One of the Funniest Movies Ever Made!
  By A1FPJ1FIQ1752P on 2008-03-23
  ****NO SPOILERS HERE****
  
  This film is best enjoyed if you know nothing about the plot, and ergo I shall reveal nothing.
  
  I love the comedies of director Frank Oz, from Bowfinger to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
  
  But after the dreadful remake of The Stepford Wives, I didn't have high hopes for "Death at a Funeral."
  
  But from about the second line in the movie, it is BURST out loud funny. And while it's hard to believe the momentum can be maintained, especially given the morbid theme, the plot surprises continue and the laughs build until the riotous crescendo. Comedies are my favorite genre, and it's difficult to remember a movie funnier than this.
  
  Director Oz apparently benefited by getting out of Hollywood, and working with a no-name cast in the UK, and this is his by far his funniest and best work.
  
  Highly, highly, highly recommended.
  
  
• British Humor
  By A21Y4T9LG7IYZG on 2008-03-28
  Death at a Funeral is quintessential British humor. There are a lot of characters, but each is so different from the others that there is no confusion about identity. The basic premise is a staid, English manor house funeral with the requisite widow, two slightly estranged brothers, and a bevy of friends and family coming to pay their last respects to the recently deceased (and highly respectable)lord of the manor. You begin to see the film's evolution from the moment the funeral home delivers the wrong casket to the manor house! My husband and I both enjoyed this movie very much. There is something here for most ages although it is not suitable for children under 13 and some of the humor might be subtle enough to escape some older teens as well. There is some language and a bit of nudity but nothing highly offensive. Just very funny.Death at a Funeral
  
  
• Be prepared for your own death - from laughter!
  By A25JOX59S9Q4ZD on 2008-03-30
  My husband brought this DVD home from the video store this weekend. He sometimes brings home odd things and certainly the title and cover of this DVD were no exception. I took one look at it, turned up my nose and said "Uggh, I have no interest in seeing this. What in the world caused you to pick it out?" He said, "Oh, it's some British movie and it's supposed to be funny." I gave him a good eyeroll.
  
  I actually missed the first 15 minutes of the movie because I wasn't interested in watching it at all, much less being there from the beginning. Within a minute of sitting down with him though I was laughing hysterically. So hysterically in fact, that our daughter came in from the next room where she was sitting with headphones on, music blaring in her ears, because she could hear us screaming with laughter. When she came in to the room, my husband and I were balled up in fits of tearful laughter and couldn't even talk to her.
  
  When the movie was over, all I could say was "Oh - my - gosh! That was the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life. I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe and thought I was going to throw up. Then I couldn't sleep because I kept laughing.
  
  Of course, it's not a movie you can talk about at the water cooler because people just won't understand why playing with toilet paper, talking to a deceased man's dwarf lover, or walking on a roof naked are funny. You just have to see it to understand.
  
  
• Ashes to Ashes, Laughter to Laughter
  By A18G7GG53G2X8A on 2007-08-27
  You know those madcap comedy films in which absolutely everything goes wrong and chaos ensues? That's pretty much what you'll get from Frank Oz's "Death at a Funeral," an over the top yet effective British farce that--if I may be allowed a ridiculous and overused saying--puts the "fun" in "funeral." Indeed, this is a funny movie, a creative blend of dry satire and physical humor that amounts to an interesting (if a little overplayed) character study. And that's how it should be, especially if the story involves a crazy family gathering for a funeral. The major characters are dysfunctional to a frightening degree: brothers squabble over each other's lives; cousins are neurotic and unable to say the right things; boyfriends are despised; old flames are futilely trying to reconnect. Just imagine all these people under the same roof.
  
  The comedy begins almost as soon as the film does. The grieving Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen) awaits the arrival of his father's body. When the coffin arrives, he peers in for final identification. "Who's that?" he asks. "That's not my father." "We brought the wrong one!" one of the undertakers exclaims before they close the lid and rush off. A simple and somewhat predictable joke, no question. Yet it still has an agreeable charm. And it was clearly meant to serve as a framing device, signaling that what lies ahead for the characters will be far more chaotic, dangerous, nerve-wracking, and above all, humorous. I don't dare question the implausibility of this film; screwball comedies don't work on realistic levels simply because realism is not funny.
  
  So then what is funny when it comes to "Death at a Funeral"? How about a man in a drug-induced delirium? This is exactly what happens to Simon (Alan Tudyk), the boyfriend of Martha (Daisy Donovan), the dead man's niece; mistaking a powerful hallucinogen for Valium, Simon takes a pill and spends the rest of the film ranting incoherently and seeing things that aren't really there. He believes that something is alive in the coffin because it's moving. He notes how green everything around him is. He unrolls toilet paper, telling the sheets to join the others. But his most erratic behavior shows up late in the film--and while I won't tell you what he does, I'm sure you have a good idea from the ads. Martha is understandably on edge; aside from her warped boyfriend, she also has to deal with a former lover, who won't leave her alone, and her father, who despises Simon for no apparent reason.
  
  Here's another funny scenario (and this is the film's most important subplot): a secret gay affair. Apparently, Daniel's father was not who he seemed. And this comes to light when an American dwarf named Peter (Peter Dinklage) introduces himself as the secret lover. In believing that he's entitled to something, Peter blackmails Daniel for 15,000 pounds. If Daniel doesn't pay up, Peter will expose the truth to the entire family. This is but one extra level of pressure Daniel is now under: for one thing, his writer brother, Robert (Rupert Graves), failed to pay for his half of the funeral; but more importantly, Daniel and his wife, Jane (Keeley Hawes), need a down payment for a flat away from his parents' home. Between the extra funeral expenses and the blackmail money, it doesn't look like he'll be going anywhere.
  
  Now imagine how much crazier this situation gets when Peter is tied up and gagged. The sheer insanity of this scene is actually more exhausting than funny; how many things need to go wrong before the film's sense of humor goes too far? I ask this because there's a fine, fine line between fun and pointlessness, and I'm not entirely sure that "Death at a Funeral" balances itself accordingly. Every joke is over the top, but some are more over the top than others, and they are the ones I end up questioning. Still, I did find myself giggling more than once at the intentional ridiculousness. More often than not, physical gags and four-letter dialogue are funny.
  
  Even the family drama between Daniel and Robert is a little funny, simply because their problems are so common as to seem relatable. Daniel is jealous that Robert has become a successful novelist; because of this, it's automatically assumed that he, not Daniel, will deliver the eulogy. Daniel is jealous enough to try writing his own novel (Peter reads some of the manuscript and says, "I tried writing once; it didn't work out for me, either"). He's also annoyed that Robert ran off to New York, essentially deserting his family while spending a great deal of money. Doesn't such rivalry and tension seem all too familiar? Aren't there people like this in every family, siblings or otherwise? I don't think this subplot was meant to serve as a counterpoint to the comedy; rather, I think it adds a different level of comedy altogether, a level that can easily be understood.
  
  Such is the way with "Death at a Funeral," a film that isn't afraid to use death as a way to make us laugh. There was once a Broadway musical called "Dance of the Vampires," and it featured a song called "Death is Such an Odd Thing"; I found myself thinking of that title as I watched "Death at a Funeral," simply because the point it makes is true. And death gets even more odd when you consider the people who will go on living. Will they keep the dead person's memory alive? Will they remember the dead person fondly? Will they remember the dead person at all? Will they even go to the funeral? I ask this because I've never attended one. I only hope that when I do, death will seem less odd and more dignified.
  
  
• Finding out secrets at a "Funeral"
  By ATXL536YX71TR on 2007-09-03
  My grandmother died in 1992.It was the first funeral that I had ever attended.A very different portrait of a woman that we all thought we knew VERY well surfaced most unexpectedly while at the get-together afterwards at my Aunt's house.Needless to say I was extremely surprised and a little more than shocked about what I had discovered about my dear old "Gaga".
  
  Hence, we come to DEATH AT A FUNERAL,a ripping good time of a movie about a divided British family's attempt to send off in a dignified manner their beloved patriarch.What would normally seem to be a very easy thing to do turns into total chaos involving hallucinogenic drugs,sibling rivalries, romantic jealousies,wacky relatives,blackmail,murder attempts and a long held,unknown dark secret of the corpse.
  
  Director Frank Oz seems to have returned to his British roots with DEATH and a truly first rate assemblage of NOW actors,but unfortunately brings with him some American humor that simply betrays this funereal farce.When a European farce is reduced to "the gross-out factor" in order to secure a laugh, too much American influence has crept in.The scatology in this film cheapens what starts out to be very clever and wacky.That, though, is not the only problem with this film: Oz needs to know when one joke or line of comedy has run it's course and then move on.Much is dragged a little too far in order for it to continue to be funny.The film lacks a necessary focus to bring it full circle.Is the point of the film the secret of the corpse,the brother's rivalry, the blackmail attempt,or ultimately the conclusion of the eulogy? There are lots of great ideas in this humorous ride, but which one is the point of the film?
  
  Where DEATH really excels as a work of art is in the truly smart and savvy editing;it is cut together magnificently and is worthy of mention alone.
  
  WARNING: If a review gives away the secret of the corpse, much of the fun and suspense will be diminished!Unfortunately I had read such one and it DID affect the punch this film could have had.
  
  Alan Tudyk really does steal the show with a comic turn as Simon, the mistakenly drug-induced lawyer.Matthew Macfadyen and Rupert Graves as the siblings do well enough as the foils in this farce, though I do prefer their dramatic work better.As always it is great to continue to see Peter Dinklage getting interesting parts in films, though to be a mere supporting character betrays his excellence as a lead dramatic actor.Still,all-in-all,DEATH AT A FUNERAL is a pleasing enough one-time view that does contain smart and witty repartee and enough laughs worth the time.
  
  Excellent companion films would be MAY FOOLS (French) and to some degree THE CELEBRATION (French) and THE SEA (Icelandic).
  
  
• WoW!!!
  By A2NA3W6DE7ON0C on 2007-10-05
  I don't think I have laughed as much over this past year all put together as I did while watching this. It wasn't as slap-stick as most British comedy making it full of humor adults can appreciate. It was fantastic!
  
  
• A Laugh Riot
  By A33S9OA2G1504P on 2007-10-11
  I and my partner went and saw this at a local theatre this evening (the Twin Cities) and could barely contain ourselves from this screw-ball's, unbelievable comic antics that this film sets us up for.
  You will not be disappointed purchasing this film when, for North Americans, this film becomes available for Region 1 DVD players. In the realm of comic movies, this film easily ranks at the top of the list since the beginning of comedy. It's a master piece of wondrously comic tour-de-force acting/situation/unbelievable and yet believable antics/"accidents" . . . it is a wonderful comic delight from the end of the opening titles to the very last credit rolling down the screen, with your diaphragm finally able to stop contracting for yet an even bigger comic moment! This film breaks the star ratings . . . it deserves at least 50, probably 75. A triumph of fun
  
  You will, if you're not passed out from laughing so hard it hurts, want to see it again right away. None of the unbelievable scenarios, which become more outlandish and more hysterically funny with each triggering event could, if you have a weak heart . . . send you to your local ER with the biggest smile on your face that any ER staff may have ever seen. Make sure your life insurance is up to date before viewing!
  
  
• Best movie ever seen!! Never laughed so hard
  By A11HB5O4HJGBVC on 2007-12-11
  This is the funniest movie I have ever seen!!! Why isn't it on DVD yet? It would make the perfect Christmas present for those who could use a good laugh. I don't buy movies often, but this one is an exception.
  
  There are plenty of reviews that tell what this movie was about, but I don't think the message is clear enough. This movie made my husband and I laugh until our sides hurt and even after the credits rolled most of the people in the theatre just sat there, they didn't want to leave! I am confused by the world today where you enter a movie about fear, brutality and death (there are many examples) and the theatre is packed. But yet a movie like this only had a handful of people and isn't out on DVD yet.
  
  Bottom line, see it when you get the chance!
  
  
• When did a funeral become so hilarious?
  By A5CWLQF6QO3CN on 2007-12-20
  Haven't thought of a funeral could be so funny and make me laughing and bending over to the next empty seat.
  
  The British do know how to make a good comedy. Death at a Funeral managed to turn a sad occasion upside down while at the same time revealed all the dirty laundry and dark secrets of the main characters that made them interesting. Characters like a self-centred prick who preferred to spend his money on a first class ticket instead of his father's funeral, an uptight lawyer fell prey to hullucination drugs, an arrogant doctor who thought the whole world couldn't match up with him. These are just some of the interesting people you will meet at this funeral.
  
  Some of the plots were a bit predictable - basically you know what is coming around the corner. However, it was the way they wrote it and made it that made the film so enjoyable. All the subtleness that revealed just enough comic moments to keep you going and going. There was a bit of physical comedy elements like their American counterparts, but it is the well written British humour that shaped the movie which could easily make it a classic. Some of the topics they touched on were not new, e.g. homosexuality and drugs, but the modern touch up did make it look more refreshing.
  
  I will highly recommend it if you want an relaxing evening out for a good laugh. I think the British did it again :)
  
  
• Best comedy of the century!
  By A1R0HSXIV7HJAK on 2008-01-31
  I love off-the-wall humor. I honestly can't remember the last time a movie was literally side-splitting funny. I actually snorted at one point. It's unexpected, unpredictable, and simply a good, good time. Don't miss this one. You'll watch it again and again and again.
  
  
• Rites and Wrongs
  By A3Q1GB17EH17UD on 2008-02-27
  "Death at a Funeral"
  
  Wrongs and Rites
  
  Amos Lassen
  
  Even though I had heard about "Death at a Funeral", I was still caught completely off guard by its humor and, in fact, I am still laughing as I write this review. It seems to be about everything worth living for--drugs, homosexuality, nudity, sibling rivalry, and almost every offbeat you can think of. Taking place on one afternoon, we are endeared by the characters who win us over with their bold wit. The funeral we see highlights the humor and irony of life. The funeral is overshadowed by family problems and they propel the characters into some very funny situations but it is the funeral that is the focal point of the film and even with all of the lunacy, we get a eulogy. This is a British farce with an amazing ensemble cast that does its part to perfection. Highbrow and lowbrow collide and the results will keep you laughing for a very long time.
  Anyone who has ever been to a family funeral will recognize the situation and that; I believe is what makes this film work. The laughs begin early--during the cleverly animated credits. We meet the mourners who come to the funeral with their inhabitations totally in check but because of the actions of the grieving guests, lose any sense of sanity. Before the members of the audience realize it, each viewer becomes a mourner at a funeral of someone they have never known. Like the mourners on the screen, the mourners in the audience also lose any sense of sanity that they may have had when they sat down to watch this film.
  To put it concisely the film deals with death, family relations and s**t. There is also a hallucinogenic drug with an effect that lasts throughout the movie and a dead father with a secret. The fact that the movie is British allows the actors to do what the British do so well--combine lowbrow humor with death and make us laugh until it hurts and in the most politically incorrect way possible. This is not just black humor--it is morbid humor that it is riotous. Death may be a serious subject but that is not really what this movie is about. It is really about how the living behave when a situation presents itself. I had a great time and I predict that you will too.
  
  
  
• BLOODY GOOD FUN!!!
  By A18NPUB5CNXZOE on 2008-03-06
  I LIKE TO READ THE ONE STAR NEGATIVE REVIEWS. SOME PEOPLE REALLY DON'T HAVE A "SENSE OF HUMOR" IT SEEMS!
  
  AT FIRST WHEN I SAW THE "MENU" PAGE AND SOME "DUMB GUY" ROMPING ABOUT THE YARD AT A BRITISH ESTATE I THOUGHT, "WOW, THIS IS REALLY GOING TO BE A SILLY, STUPID FILM." BUT, AS USUAL, I WAS "WAY OFF THE MARK". THIS IS A VERY CLEVER AND FUNNY FILM OF ITS GENRE. I THINK IT WILL BECOME A "CLASSIC FILM" IN THE FUTURE. AT LEAST SEE IT, AND MAKE UP YOUR OWN MIND. RECOMMENDED!!! boland7214@aol.
  
  

• Juno (Single-Disc Edition)
• The Darjeeling Limited
• Atonement (Widescreen Edition)
• Michael Clayton (Widescreen Edition)
• Lars and the Real Girl