Funny but Fluffy: Death at a Funeral

Death of a Funeral
Directed by Frank Oz
Released August 17, 2007

There is no denying the fact that the audience was laughing pretty much the whole time at this offbeat British comedy about, well...death and a funeral. And it is true; I c0uld not help enjoying myself. But immediately after it is over, I felt a lingering sense of unfulfillment. From the amusing opening credits, the film is laugh after laugh and does have a decent enough plot, but it is just too out there and ungrounded to constitute a good film. It is impressive that everyone, despite heavy British accents, is completely understandable. Throw in non-Brit Peter Dinklage (from the ultimate independent film "The Station Agent") and you have a recipe for lots of laughs but not too much thinking. The cast is pretty uniform, though Alan Tudyk deserves extra praise for his performance as a nervous son-in-law who accidentally takes some hallucinogenic drugs. All in all, just remember that despite the fact that all the stars come from overseas, there is no hidden wisdom here, just a bloody good time.

B-