DEATH AT A FUNERAL (2010) (2010, Blu-ray released August 10, 2010 – MSRP $34.95)
Chris Rock loved it—why not bring the laughs to a broader American audience? Sony Pictures revisits the film that keeps the “fun” in dysfunctional…and in funeral. Death at a Funeral (2010) is a lively, R-rated comedy that reminds you that funerals can always be more difficult. Why do those lingering issues come up during already stressful situations?
Ok, I have to admit that I still haven’t seen the original, but it is on my “must see” list. I’ve only ever heard good things about the Frank Oz original. Chris Rock had the idea to remake the film and have Dean Craig retain the writing credit while overseeing the limited adaptation of the story to an African-American family in California.
When a film opens with a Hearse, it’s not usually a good sign. For Aaron (Chris Rock), this film also opens with the wrong body in the casket, a vocally ovulating wife and an unfinished eulogy that no one wants to hear. It’s immediately clear that things are not going swimmingly on this most solemn of occasions…well, you can only laugh or give up. Don’t worry, you will laugh.
First and foremost, for a film like this to work, you have to believe that the characters are a family…and you do. The family dynamic feels real, right down to the sibling rivalries and the disappointed parents. And even though the film ventures often into the outrageous, I found myself saying: “Yeah, I hate it when that happens.”
Casting is key and the cast is made up of seasoned performers (comic and dramatic) and newer faces, proving their comedy chops–Names like Martin Lawrence, Loretta Devine, Ron Glass, and Keith David. James Marsden’s performance in particular displays comedic talent I wasn’t aware he possessed. A-less-nutty-than-we-are-used-to Tracy Morgan plays the part of a family friend responsible for bringing the cantankerous Uncle Russell (Danny Glover) to the funeral, and their scenes usually lean towards the very silly. Zoë Saldana and Columbus Short teamed up earlier this year in The Losers and now play brother and sister so convincingly, it’s scary. Their exchanges are some of the most genuine in the film. As far as key performers go, it doesn’t get any more key than Peter Dinklage. He reprises the role he played in the original, but with a different name. The characters are well defined with everyone playing their parts very skillfully, and with the different comedic styles intermingling nicely.
The artifact-free, warm and colour-rich 1080p transfer is a great vehicle to flaunt this dynamic film that was primarily shot hand-held and on digital video. Sony has outdone itself with the texture and detail present in the film. Black levels never mask anything and contrasts are always accurate and pleasing. The quality of the soundtrack is clean and seamless. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround sound amply fills spaces in interior and exterior scenes without being overly present—subtlety is exercised. Dialogue is clear as a bell and the music is never blaring or distracting as it comes through the channels at a suitably mixed level.
Along with a slew of previews for other releases, BD-Live and MovieIQ options, offering access to a real-time movie database, the disc includes plenty of high-definition extras to further the experience. In the commentary, director, Neil LaBute and Rock exchange stories of making Death at a Funeral, from the casting to the differences of their version from the original. “Family Tree” features short individual interview clips interspersed with footage on-set, where the cast describes the connection of their character to the dead relative and other details of playing the part. For more behind-the-scenes details and in-depth interviews there are two features, “Last Rites, Dark Secrets” and “Death for Real“, where cast and crew discuss both their experience on the film and with death and funerals in general. Finishing out the bonus material is a limited gag-reel and deleted scenes. This 2-disc set, complete with DVD and digital copy of the film, also has a bookmark functionality which is handy for quick referencing back to any favorite laughs in the movie.
Death at a Funeral is mostly silly fun and offers some good laughs. It is a solid comedy, making full use of a dynamite cast and great source material, without ever entering that sometimes caricature-y and excluding “genre” often referred to as Urban Comedy.
[...] the film is entertaining. Also, I’m going out on a limb here, but having seen Tracy Morgan in Death at a Funeral recently as well, I can see that he can act. By the accounts of other actors and having seen him in [...]