April 27, 2010: Death at a Funeral (2010)
I knew from the trailer, really, that this remake of Death at a Funeral was likely to be a train wreck. But when you line up that much comedic talent, I can’t resist. What I should have done is watch the Frank Oz-directed 2007 British original instead.
What’s the story? Chris Rock plays a man whose father has just died, and he has arranged to have the funeral at the house (he and his wife live there with his parents). Family and friends gather, and a few major twists and turns cause what should be a solemn occasion to become a madhouse of fighting, blackmail, and violence. A stellar supporting cast includes the likes Zoe Saldana, Luke Wilson, Tracy Morgan, Danny Glover, Keith David, and most importantly Peter Dinklage reprising his role from the original film. Oh, and Martin Lawrence is here as well, playing Chris Rock’s brother. I can’t categorize him as stellar.
I was on the fence about whether to bother with this one, but Roger Ebert recommended it. I can’t do the same. There’s lots of slapstick comedy thrown in, which I can totally see working in a British farce, but doesn’t feel right with this American family. The drugged funeral guest getting naked on the roof, the young man getting soiled while helping an old man go to the bathroom, the coffin falling over…it just doesn’t work. Even worse, mixing all this broad physical comedy with the emotional intricacies of the reunions and blowups among old friends and enemies leaves us with the two negating each other, making the total less than the sum of its parts and making them both feel misplaced. There are a few good belly laughs, and some believable emotional moments, but it’s mostly awkward.
I’ve since taken a quick look at the original Death at a Funeral, and it looks like it works a lot better. In particular, I get the impression that Peter Dinklage plays his part a bit differently, more grieving and feeling discarded rather than bitter and vengeful. I can respect the change for the remake as being necessary in light of the different setting and the different personalities of the rest of the cast, but at the same time I think it defuses a lot of the power brought to the story by his character, who is a core part of the film. Don’t bother with this one, but I hear the original is not bad.
Another remake fills me with regret.
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