The brightest comedy this week takes place at the most unlikely of places — a funeral.
The broodingly attractive Matthew Macfayden (Pride & Prejudice) plays a man who has just lost his father. But at the funeral, several things go wrong. First they bring the wrong body. Then, his cousin's fiance (Alan Tudyk) accidentally ingests a hallucinogen. And to top it off, the deceased father had a secret life that only now has come to light. This secret life is something a mysterious dwarf (Peter Dinklage) knows about, and hopes to blackmail the family with for a share of the inheritance.
Murder, sabotage and temporary insanity takes over the household of these normally proper and polite British characters, resulting in some terrifically hilarious moments.
Directed by Frank Oz (who once directed The Muppet Show, In and Out, and is the voice of Yoda), Death at a Funeral is the perfect light-hearted movie for audiences looking for some tasteful British humour — as opposed to the over-the-top kind found in Balls of Fury. Maybe because it is directed by an American, there may some toilet jokes, but Death at a Funeral is largely a charming and pleasurable comedy for grown-ups audiences.
If Balls of Fury is not your thing, Death at a Funeral would be.