I will freely admit that I'm a sucker for any of those British comedy movies with tons of characters where the storylines kind of sort of temporarily and only momentarily intersect. Perhaps, in fact, I'm just a sucker for British comedies. Sit me in front of Love, Actually; Four Weddings and a Funeral; heck, even Bridget Jones' Diary and I have an absolutely fantastic time. There is a laid back way in which the films are crafted and build towards their conclusion that I find truly enjoyable. They are filled with heart, humor, and even the occasionally raunchy joke. They are a joy to watch and told in a way which I don't think Americans have quit mastered. Death at a Funeral, Frank Oz's 2007 film, not the Americanized 2010 version, is another perfect example of the genre.
Right off the bat I will say that there are some who might argue that Death at a Funeral is burdened by a name which makes it all too obvious what has to occur at some point during the movie. There is, unquestionably, an argument to be made there – one does in fact keep waiting for an individual to drop dead. If you happen to be watching the movie with others, you might in fact be tempted to place bets on who will end up dying. That being said, I think that there are many out there for whom the title will soften the blue of what is to come and help head off at the pass and discussion of how a death may in fact make a comedy slightly too serious. That is not an obligation filmmakers have, nor would I argue that they should follow such a path. The title works because it is an odd one, one which makes you stop and think and wonder even if it does give away some of the plot.
The film stars Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, Andy Nyman, Ewen Bremmer, Alan Tudyk, Rupert Graves, Kris Marshall, and Peter Dinklage amongst many others (yes, Dinklage also appeared in the 2010 film). It follows quite a simple basic storyline of a family and friends coming together for the funeral of Daniel (MacFadyen) and Robert's (Graves) father, but quickly grows far more complicated.
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