Review of Death at a Funeral (2007) by David U — 28 Dec 2013

"Death at a Funeral" (the original British version) is a hysterical character-driven black comedy. Even though I only have vague familiarity with a few of these actors, the script is so well written that the characters make the actors funny, not vice versa (as attempted by the American remake).

The script brings this group of connected characters to a wedding where a combination of secrets, grief, and drugs results in a lot of dark humor. Black comedies usually are not my cup of tea but this one is so good that you can't help but laugh.

Andy Nyman has a truly inspired performance as Howard, the unfortunate recipient of some mislabeled drugs. His mannerisms and unseen hallucinations are convincing while always remaining comedic instead of dramatic.

My favorite character is Justin, the sleezy guy who just can't take a hint and stop bothering his former one-night stand (who is now engaged to the naked Howard on the roof). The best part of Justin is the revelation that causes him to give up.

Matthew MacFadyen actually delivers a pretty awesome dramatic/emotional performance amidst all of the chaos while Peter Vaughan is just plain hilarious in the role of Uncle Alfie. "Death at a Funeral" is off-the-wall, unpredictable, and often inappropriate, but something about it is irresistible and worth watching.