Death at a Funeral

(2010)

Dir: Neil LaBute

Such a shame. For a film jam-packed to the gills with talent, and that starts out so well, it’s disappointing that Neil LaBute’s Death at a Funeral, an American remake of the British comedy of the same name, ultimately descends into the same old tired Hollywood mess.

LaBute’s track record isn’t glowing when it comes to re-making pictures from this side of the Atlantic. See Nicolas Cage screaming his way through 2007’s The Wicker Man as evidence. Killing me won't bring back your goddamn honey! But Death at a Funeral has potential, with an initially quick, witty script. It helps that it has comic heavyweights such as Martin Lawrence and Chris Rock delivering these zingers, which makes it even more grating that LaBute’s film turns into a bad Carry On flick. One silly, slapstick-based angle is enough. James Marsden’s drugged Oscar is that. But the addition of the gay midget (seriously?) and the incontinent Danny Glover are overkill.

 

Gay midgets? Really?

 

Rock, as usual, is the best thing here. As Aaron, the eldest son of the deceased whose funeral it is, his repartee with his successful, Lothario brother Ryan (Lawrence) is where the real humour lies. It doesn’t need the farcical padding. Rock was recently heralded by Time magazine as the funniest man in the world. So why on earth is he not in this film doing more what makes him so funny, talking? That’s what we want from a Chris Rock film. More of him, less of everyone else. His discussion with the hapless funeral directors which opens the film is the wittiest moment of the entire thing. It’s reminiscent of some of his hilarious social commentaries that he has become famous for through his cutting-edge stand-up. But it’s all downhill from there.

Death at a Funeral is a huge disappointment. I just hope everyone involved, especially Rock, can move on and leave this dud in the coffin where it belongs.

** / *****