Product: Death At A Funeral [Blu-ray] (2007)
Rating: 5.0
Death at a Funeral
This has to be one of the funniest movies I have seen in years. Funeral funny? That seems to be an oxymoron of the worst type. Yet this one out does itself at every turn. Serious son Daniel (Matthew MacFadyen) and Jane (his real life wife Keeley Hawes) are helping host the funeral at the family home (from which they both wish to escape to a flat of their own, once dad has a proper send off.) Dad definitely gets a send off but not quite the one they'd hoped for. With a crazy cast of relatives not all of whom get along; the wrong body; a famous brother and favorite son- whose only goal is chatting up a cute girl; a stray bottle of "Valium" that keeps turning up at inopportune times; a dwarf with a big secret; and a coffin with a mind of its own- it's the recipe for disaster. The supporting cast are all people you will recognize but may not know their names. With a lesser cast this might have turned into a very different movie. But all of the players are top notch, blessed with perfect timing and directed with a deft hand by Frank Oz. It reminds me a bit of Young Frankenstein. When it first came out, few of the actors were well known but became famous from this iconic classic. I feel sure the same will happen here with the DVD release. Though able to easily stand on its own, word of mouth will give this show legs. The price of the DVD is well worth it just for the hilarious gag reel that is included. I highly recommend it.