Death at a Funeral

Starring Matthew MacFayden, Rupert Graves, Peter Dinklage, Alan Tudyk, Daisy Donovan, Jane Asher and Ewen Bremner
Screenplay by Dean Craig
Directed by Frank Oz
website: www.deathatafuneral-themovie.com

IN SHORT: Rock 'em Sock 'em Laughs. An absolute killer comedy. [Rated R for language and drug content. 90 minutes]

With only a name brand director Frank Oz of Muppets fame to intrigue us, we planted for Death at a Funeral solely because we trust Oz' choice and talent. Honestly? Death is a work almost screaming for someone to buy up remake rights and fill it with an American cast so someone will see it. It is a story we may have seen to some extent, before and, when all is said and done, the film builds into a gut busting slapstick farce. Here's the trick, folks. If you are going to watch in a theater, take as many people as you can, or go on a date night. A big crowd is going to be absolutely essential how funny this flick gets for you -- laughter is, after all, contagious.

The death of a loved one is usually a sad occasion. It brings families together, at least physically, and allows them to set past grievances aside as the Deceased is fondly remembered and properly respected.

Unless, of course, the two brothers running "the show" have been estranged for years -- Daniel (Matthew MacFayden) has tended to his deteriorating dad and distraught mother (Jane Asher) while jet setting brother Robert (Rupert Graves) is living the high life as a famous novelist in New York City. Expecting his successful brother to cover the costs of the funeral, Daniel has already committed his available cash for a down payment on a London apartment. That is what his wife, Jane (Keely Hawes) wants and what she is darn well is going to get. Except that Robert has shown up sans checkbook. A battle is brewing. Wait, there's more!

Cousin Martha (Daisy Donovan) intends to introduce her fiance Simon (Alan Tudyk) to the family, despite her father's strident objections to the union. Simon is a nervous, quivering lump in the back seat of the car as Martha drives to pick up other mourners. One is cousin Troy (Kris Marshall), a "supplier" of pharmaceuticals to the local college kidlets. All completely legal, of course <nudge nudge wink wink>. Martha sees a bottle marked "valium" and gives two to Simon, to calm him down. It will be a while before the LSD kicks in -- (oops). Wait, there's more!

Or less, actually, in the form of little person Peter (Peter Dinklage) who has come to the funeral bearing explicit pornographic snapshots he feels are worth £15,000 to keep secret. Any American film viewer will figure it out before the words "Dad was gay??!!" are uttered but, hey, what are two manly men supposed to do with a blackmailing little guy? It's all just another element readying to explode in a film whose title gives away more than we're ever going to do. Wait, there's more!

That explosion is rudely manifested in the behavior of Uncle Alfie (Peter Vaughan) , a loudmouth cripple in a wheelchair, who totally abuses poor cousin Justin (Ewen Bremner) who has to lift the portly one in and out of his wheelchair. Add it up folks: angry brothers, angry wife, stoned silly relative, blackmailing midget and one obese man who has to go potty NOW!

On average, a first run movie ticket will run you Ten Bucks. Were Cranky able to set his own price to Death at a Funeral, he would have paid . . .

$8.50

We laughed so hard we almost didn't make it to the potty our self. And don't think we've given it all away with the literal description. We couldn't take the laff out of slapstick if you tried.

	Click to buy films by Frank Oz
	Click to buy films starring Ewen Bremner
	Click to buy films starring Jane Asher

The Cranky Critic® is a Registered Trademark of, and his website is Copyright © 1995-2008 by, Chuck Schwartz. Articles by Paul Fischer Copyright © 1999 - 2006 Paul Fischer. All images, unless otherwise noted, are property of,©, ®, T their respective studios and are used by permission. All Rights Reserved. Not to be used or copied for any commercial purpose. Academy AwardT(s) and Oscar®(s) are registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Amazon Honor System

Your Donations feed us

Buy Cranky stuff

Buy movie posters!

BUY THE LATEST DVDs
Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen) DVD (Full Screen)	Lord of the Rings Trilogy DVD
Marx Bros collection	Alfred Hitchcock Collection
Looney Toons Volume 1 Volume 2 Volume 3 Rocky & Bullwinkle Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Star Trek TOS Star Trek TNG Star Trek Films Criterion Collections

TV/Movie Collectibles

online movie critics

We're Kidlet Safe

Search engine
by FreeFind

click to search site

Now in Release:

The Band's Visit
Definitely Maybe
Hottie and the Nottie
In Bruges
Iron Man
Be Kind Rewind
Rambo
Cloverfield
Mad Money
U2 3D

28 Weeks Later
Black Book
Bourne Ultimatum
Brooklyn Rules
Death at a Funeral
Evening
The Ex
Fido
Georgia Rule
Grindhouse
Hairspray
Harry Potter - Phoenix
The Hoax
Hot Rod
I Know Who Killed Me
La Vie en Rose
License to Wed
Live Free or Die Hard
Mr. Brooks
Next
No Reservatons
Ocean's Thirteen
Perfect Stranger
Pirates of Caribbean
Ratatouille
Rescue Dawn
Rush Hour 3
Severance
Sicko
Simpsons Movie
Slow Burn
Snow Cake
Spider-Man 3
Stardust

DVDs on Sale:
300
Alice in Wonderland
Batman Begins
Bambi
Beauty and the Beast
Blade Runner
Bridge to Terabithia
Charlie + Chocolate Factory
Cinderella
E.T.
Fantastic Four
Forrest Gump
Gone With the Wind
Harry Potter yrs 1-3 set
Harry Potter Azkaban
The Incredibles
Indiana Jones trilogy
The Lion King
Lord of Rings 12 discs
Mary Poppins 40th LE
Ultimate Matrix set
Miss Potter
Monty Python - Grail
Napoleon Dynamite
Pirates of the Caribbean
Pirates of the Caribbean 2
Shrek
Shrek 2
Sin City
Sleeping Beauty
South Park Movie
Spider-Man
Spider-Man 2
Star Wars Ep. 1
Star Wars Ep. 2
Star Wars 3 Full Screen
Star Wars 3 l'box
Star Wars Trilogy (4-6)
The Island
War of the Worlds
X-Men
X-Men 2