Rent Death at a Funeral on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Dean Craig
Directed by: Frank Oz
Starring: Matthew Macfadyen, Peter Dinklage, Ewen Bremner, Keeley Hawes, Alan Tudyk
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
Chaos ensues when a man tries to expose a dark secret regarding a recently deceased patriarch of a dysfunctional British family.
Verdict
This is a situation where what can go wrong does. Tensions between family and strangers collide. Being a British movie, the humor is certainly more grounded and subtle, but that's what lends this a sense of realism. It's funny because it's not difficult to imagine something like this happening. I imagine this is a movie that gets better with another watch.
It depends.
Review
This is the original British version, not the Chris Rock vehicle that was remade a few years later. Dean Craig is the writer for both. I don't know if he re-wrote the script for the remake or the director just used the same one.
This sets the tone early when Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen) previews the casket for the visitation and discovers it's not his father. The funeral home brought the wrong person. From there it's family members arriving, and the infighting begins while they're still parking.
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| Matthew Macfadyen plays Daniel |
This movie captures that strife and tension that can arise. Daniel is preparing the eulogy, but everyone wants his successful brother Robert (Rupert Graves), who's a writer living in New York, to deliver the eulogy. Robert refuses to help cover the cost of the funeral despite his success.
Simon (Alan Tudyk) desperately wants to impress his wife's father at the funeral, but unknowingly is tripping. That's the wildest bit of this movie, and that provides distraction for a friend of Daniel's father, Peter (Peter Dinklage) to start a conversation that reveals secrets.
I haven't seen the American remake, but I'd guess a big difference is tone. Despite some of the craziness this isn't over the top.
As the title alludes, characters are left to scramble and cover up indiscretions. If you've experienced something like this, I expect it will connect well.
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