Review of Death at a Funeral (2007) by Ben U — 24 Jan 2010
Funerals are often a time of reflection and serious thought as people mourn the loss of a person they have known. People at the funeral often behave in a polite and proper manner as a mark of respect to the person who has passed away.
Unfortunately the funeral in this movie is quite different. Daniel (Matthew MacFadyen) is preparing for the funeral of his late father. Despite his efforts he struggles as events beyond his control get tangled up with the funeral. It starts off with Simon (Alan Tudyk) inadvertently taking a narcotic. Chaos begins to erupt as the narcotic's effects take hold. Tudyk is able provide much of the laughter as a person who is on a high at the wrong place at the wrong time. Then the chaos is compounded by a four-foot-tall stranger who claims to have been a close friend of the deceased. This stranger threatens to reveal a secret of the deceased unless he gets payment to keep quiet. This provides another source of laughter that runs parallel to Simon's narcotic-induced state.
The entire cast make the most of the movie's witty script, especially Alan Tudyk. All the cast ably play characters that constantly react to each other's situation. They successfully contribute to the movie's humour.
With many characters involved in more than one situation this movie could have been easily messed up in its complexity. Fortunately director Frank Oz is able to structure it so that the movie's plot and humour can be easily followed and enjoyed from start to finish.
It is a highly enjoyable comedy. The script, direction and cast have all worked well to make it very funny. Recommended.
This review of Death at a Funeral (2007) was written by Ben U on 24 Jan 2010.
Death at a Funeral has generally received positive reviews.
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