Death at a Funeral DVD

Whenever a film includes the words British, comedy and funeral it is hard for any film to live up to the enormous success of ‘Four Weddings And A Funeral’ and although ‘Death At A Funeral’ doesn’t have the Stella cast or the script, it is a good watch. What the film lacks in well known actors and actresses it makes up for in plot twists, well timed one liners and the odd occasional poo joke.

From acclaimed director Frank Oz (In & Out, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) comes a very unique way of looking at what we all know can be a difficult day. What is depicted here quite well is that funerals are plagued by problems and from the offset the wrong body is delivered setting the tone for things to come. Enter chaos from that point on with accidental drug ingestion, parking road rage, a blackmailing dwarf and yet more accidental drug ingestion.

Although top draw performances in the shape of Kris Marshall (Love Actually) and the ever diverse Alan Tudyk (Serenity, Dodge ball) you do get the feeling that with out the drug induced drama this movie could have been a touch flat. It is slow to get going and sometimes fairly obvious but once the characters are set and the proceedings are go , prepare to have a last half hour full of laughs.

‘A Death At A Funeral’ is a timely return to form for British comedies, they some how remind us that comedy can come in the form of actual dialogue, timing and facial expressions rather than the churned out American slap stick that fills our screens all to frequently. Overall the film sets itself well, delivers its punch line and then disappears leaving the laughing audience to reminisce of a 69-ing dwarf, a naked man on a roof and yes…. You guessed it… more accidental drug ingestion.

My verdict 6/10