A fine British cast is wasted on feeble material.
Death at a Funeral (2007)
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Reviews Counted:119
Fresh:75
Rotten:44
Average Rating:5.9/10
Consensus: Death At A Funeral is a rousing British farce, with enough slapstick silliness to overcome its faults.
Theatrical Release:02-11-2007
Synopsis: A dignified send-off for a loved one erupts into uproarious chaos when romance, jealousy, in-laws, hallucinogens, dark secrets, life-long yearnings and a spot of bold blackmail all collide in the... A dignified send-off for a loved one erupts into uproarious chaos when romance, jealousy, in-laws, hallucinogens, dark secrets, life-long yearnings and a spot of bold blackmail all collide in the irreverent British comedy DEATH AT A FUNERAL. Directed by Frank Oz (Bowfinger, In & Out) and featuring a cast made up of the cream of Britain's crop, the film mischievously explores what happens on the day when a typically divided family is finally forced to come to terms with each other's - bad behavior, outrageous faults, skeletons in the closet and all. On the morning of their father's funeral, the family and friends of the deceased each arrive with his or her own roiling anxieties. Son Daniel (MATTHEW MACFADYEN) knows he will have to face his flirty, blow-hard, famous-novelist brother Robert (RUPERT GRAVES) who's just flown in from New York, not to mention the promises of a new life he's made to his wife Jane (KEELY HAWES). Meanwhile, Daniel's cousin Martha (DAISY DONOVAN) and her dependable new fiance Simon (ALAN TUDYK) are desperate to make a good impression on Martha's uptight father - a plan that literally goes out the window when Simon accidentally ingests a designer drug en route to the service, leaving him prone to uncontrollable bouts of delirium and nudity in front of his potential in-laws. Then comes the real shocker: a mysterious guest (PETER DINKLAGE) who threatens to unveil an earth-shattering family secret. As riotous mayhem and unfortunate mishaps ensue on every front, it is now up to the two brothers to hide the truth from their family and friends and figure out how to not only bury their dearly beloved, but the secret he's been keeping. The film stars Matthew Macfadyen (Pride & Prejudice), Peter Dinklage (The Station Agent, Elf), Alan Tudyk (Firefly, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story), Ewen Bremner (Trainspotting, Match Point), Rupert Graves (V for Vendetta). DEATH AT A FUNERAL is directed by Frank Oz and written by Dean Craig. The producers are Sidney Kimmel, Lawrence Malkin, Diana Phillips and Share Stallings. The executive producers are Philip Elway, Andreas Grosch, William Horberg and Bruce Toll. Josh Kesselman, Alex Lewis and Bruce Webb are co-producers. [More]
Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Rupert Graves, Peter Dinklage, Alan Tudyk
Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Rupert Graves, Peter Dinklage, Alan Tudyk, Daisy Donovan, Jane Asher
Director: Frank Oz
Director: Frank Oz
Screenwriter: Dean Craig
Producer: Sidney Kimmel
Composer: Murray Gold
Studio: MGM
Reviews for Death at a Funeral
Death at a Funeral has a great cast and a suitably chaotic plot but it's never quite as funny as it thinks it is.
In the end the knockabout humour totally destroys the glimmers of spiteful sophistication which would have made it much funnier.
You'll wince and fidget and groan, and finally wonder at the nerve of the film-makers who thought they could get away with this.
I hear the script was funny, which is hard to believe: this is grim, misjudged and seems to go on for ever.
Scientists believe that black holes can slow down the progress of time. A similar effect can be felt by viewers of this damp squib of a farce as it grinds on from one lame set-up to the next.
A pleasantly unpleasant comedy that belatedly delivers. You won't die laughing but you shouldn't expire from boredom either.
An apologetic-looking cast treads gingerly over the resulting wreckage, though only the guy in the coffin emerges with his credibility intact.
A patchy but silly caper that will be dead funny (sorry) for anyone who’s recently wrestled with family hysteria. Perfect pre-Christmas fare then.
Scatological grue, nudity, swearing, drug-taking and the chance to watch two grown men wrestle a midget…
When people try to make British comedies for American audiences, bad things invariably happen.
A sole potty joke is unnecessarily crass, but for the most part this is joyfully funny.
Death be not proud, but it sure be funny in this deliciously dark comedy.
Latest News for Death at a Funeral
March 08, 2009:
Morgan and Lawrence Attend Rock's Death at a Funeral ![]()
Tracy Morgan and Martin Lawrence have signed up for Neil LaBute's "Death at a Funeral" remake, joining Chris Rock in the cast. More...
November 10, 2008:
Chris Rock Causes Another Death at a Funeral ![]()
Chris Rock has agreed to co-write and star in a remake of last year's Frank Oz-directed British comedy "Death at a Funeral." More...
August 16, 2007:
Critical Consensus: Superbad is Certified Fresh; The Invasion Crash-Lands
This week at the movies, we've got some McLovin (Superbad, starring Michael Cera and Jonah Hill), pod people (The Invasion, starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig), and... More...
May 10, 2007:
Weinsteins & Lionsgate Snag Michael Moore's "Sicko"
The Brothers Weinstein and Lionsgate Films have teamed up to deliver Michael Moore's expose on the U.S. health care system on June 29th. More...
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