Laughs 'at a Funeral'

Screwball farce is not my forte. Zombies? Sure. Dark, complex Coen brothers epics? Youbetcha. But those zany comedies with mistaken identities and drawing room humor often leave me cold.
But "Death at a Funeral" has elements of farce without alienating folks like me.

"Funeral," from director Frank Oz a.k.a. Fozzie Bear, follows a group of English mourners reflecting on the life of a loved one. But all isn't well with this crowd. Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen) just wants his late father's funeral to go off without a hitch. But when the wrong body is brought to the scene of the funeral, he knows it's going to be one of those days.

Daniel is slated to offer a toast to his father, but everyone at the funeral wants his brother (Rupert Graves), the published author, to do the honors.
But that conflict gets pushed aside when a random stranger (the great Peter Dinklage) appears on the scene and reveals his connection to the deceased.

It all takes a while to simmer, frankly, and there's no monster laughs that make the wait understandable. But it's clever, well crafted and adroitly acted. Plus, we get a crazed turn by Alan Tudyk as a mourner who took the wrong medication before the proceedings. Tudyk stood out in a small but great role in "Knocked Up," and while his character is way too over the top here, the actor displays some considerable comic chops. Give him more work and let's see what he can do.

"Death at a Funeral" didn't make much noise during its theatrical run, and the lack of star power may doom it on DVD. But even those allergic to farce might find themselves engaged by this "Funeral."
(Photo: and Daily Donavan and Kris Marshall fret over the events in "Death at a Funeral")