Death At A Funeral (2007)
September 15th 2010 03:22
Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen) wants only one thing on the day of his father Edwards funeral. To give his father the honour and respect in death he felt for him in life. As the family assembles for the funeral in the family home, secrets and lies ensure it's a day the family will never forget.
Daniel and his wife Jane (Keeley Hawes) live with Daniel's mother Sandra, dreaming of a time when they can have their own apartment. With the death of Edward, it seems now is the time and Jane seems determined to ensure the deposit on their flat is confirmed, regardless of it being her father-in-laws funeral.
Daniels successful novelist brother Robert (Rupert Graves) arrives from New York and tells Daniel he can't help out with the cost of the funeral due to the expense of flying First Class to London, and after having lived in Roberts shadow all these years, it seems to be the spark that lights the fuse, leaving Daniel to realise he has put his own dreams and happiness on the backburner for way to long.
Cousin Martha (Daisy Donovan) is on route to the funeral with her highly strung fiancee Simon (Alan Tudyk) and calling in to pick up her pharmacy student brother Troy (Kris Marshall), Martha gives Simon a pill out of a valium bottle. The pill is an hallucinogenic acid trip and this sets the scene for some extremely funny scenes during the funeral.
Amongst the guests at the funeral is Peter (Peter Drinklage) who no one at the gathering knows. After Simon disrupts the funeral, Peter takes Daniel aside and shows him several photos and suggests a fifteen thousand pound payment will make the photos go away.
The 'valium' bottle has gone missing and been found and in attempt to sedate Peter until after the funeral, Howard (Andy Nyman) gives him 5 of the tablets. Attempting to bring the funeral to a conclusion, Daniel is interrupted again, this time as a stoned Simon appears naked on the roof threatening to jump.
Believing Peter to have been accidentally killed the brothers decide to stick him in the coffin with their father. As the funeral resumes it turns out that Peter may not be as dead as thought and Edwards secret becomes public knowledge. Daniel, determined in the face of all adversity to deliver his fathers eulogy, emerges finally from Roberts shadow.
Death at a Funeral is a funny, entertaining film, that turns what should be a somber day into a series of riotous misadventures. The cast are excellent and special mention has to go to Alan Tudyk who was played by far the most entertaining character.
An American remake of the film has been released in 2010 and while I don't understand why anyone would remake a movie less than three years old, the original is well worth the watch. Death At A Funeral is a classic slapstick comedy, that takes the secrets and lies of a family and creates comedy gold.
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