The Red Right Hand
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DEATH AT A FUNERAL
No One Will Rest In Peace

Director
Neil LaBute

Starring
Chris Rock
Martin Lawrence
Danny Glover
Zoe Saldana

I don't ask for a lot. I realise I expect a great deal from films and contemporary cinema but I genuinely don't ask for a lot. A movie with a good story and engaging characters is pretty much all one needs; anything else is a bonus. As I have said, time and again, without these two core elements, all you have is a mass of unimpressive gimmicks, awkwardly stumbling around until the end credits roll. I would like to say Death At A Funeral is a prime example of this but there appears to be no plausible explanation for it. This is a film that is an almost word-for-word remake of a fairly average comedy from three years prior. Who thought this would be a good idea?

The plot takes place in one location, over one day. Aaron Barnes' [Rock] father has recently died and the funereal responsibilities are left to him. On top of squabbling family members, a rivalry with successful brother, Ryan [Lawrence] and a grieving mother, Aaron is approached by his father's former lover, Frank [Peter Dinklage], who threatens to reveal the pictures of their relationship if Aaron fails to pay thirty thousand dollars. As a sub-plot running parallel, Aaron's cousin, Elaine [Saldana] is continuously running around after her nervous boyfriend Oscar [Marsden] who accidentally ingests an hallucinogenic chemical compound equivalent to mescaline topped with acid. There we go. Now imagine watching that same concept over-and-over for an hour and a half with next to no comedic development and you'll have an idea of the hell that is Death At A Funeral. Of course, I really shouldn't have been surprised, this is Neil LaBute we're talking about; Neil I thought it would be a good idea to remake The Wicker Man but litter the whole thing with children and bees to ensure that it is an absolute disgrace of a film that shits on the memory of the original LaBute.

The problem seems to stem from the fact that the necessary time and consideration wasn't given to warrant its existence. This film needn't have been remade. The original worked because it analysed the different ways in which people grieve while preying on the British upper-class need for the status-quo and the absolute horror of embarrassing family secrets, this version simply takes that same concept and flings in a 'he shat on my hand' joke or two. What completely surprised me, more than the budget for such a hideously put-together film and more than the complete lack of imagination in the finale, was the calibre of an amazing cast that went utterly to waste by a completely unengaging script. A fair mix of comedic stars from several successful productions in the last few decades all on-screen together and all that could be produced was this dross!?

**Plenty of spoilers here**
In addition to boiling down to a joke-less waste of fucking time, I cannot stress enough how many elements simply failed to make any sense whatsoever. Oscar is high on drugs and runs around saying the most ridiculous things, stripping off, tackling the coffin, etc and although people seem a little outraged, the second he finds out he's having a baby with his girlfriend, everything seems to be alright. Furthermore, a running plot device throughout implies that Elaine's father doesn't approve of Oscar (having a better suitor in mind) but after a very brief and tragically unbelievable confrontation, he simply accepts the situation. On top of that, we have Tracy Morgan's character. Who in the fuck was he supposed to be? Is he a friend of the family? Is a friend of a friend of the family? Is he a disliked relative? What!? He's pretty funny but it's never explained. So, on one hand we have these hideously neat, completely implausible and unfounded resolutions and on the other we have central characters running around without a decent explanation of who they're meant to be. Even the eighteen year old extra got a connection to the family tree and she was on screen for a total of seven minutes!

I'm not saying the original was a masterpiece but you have to wonder how they could have got so much, so wrong by altering so little. That and I still cannot fathom how Tyler Perry was not involved in this shit.

Release Date:
4th June 2010

The Scene To Look Out For:
Other than the interesting opening title credits (which bore next-to-no relevance to the actual plot), there's very little to recall. I suppose if I were forced to comment on a particular scene, I would choose Marsden naked on the roof, threatening to jump, simply for the fact that Saldana manages to coax him down by explaining he's going to be a father. Marsden perfectly delivers the only line that made me laugh, "I'm pregnant?" "No, I'm pregnant" "You're pregnant too!?" Another moment that comes to mind follows Chris Rock running around trying to keep everyone in their seats promising 'just five more minutes' while Danny Glover grumbles "I'm too old for this shit" - honestly, there could not have been a better cinematic portrayal of my opinion of this film than at that moment, muttering, "You're not the only one, Danny"

Notable Characters:
On analysis, three characters come to mind; I should probably mention James Marsden but he had an easy job, so I won't. Instead, I would like to draw your attention to Columbus Short, Danny Glover and Zoey Saldana. Short had a very two dimensional role as the chem-student but he performed commendably and held his weight well. Similarly, Danny Glover played the crotchety old bastard in a wheelchair, making inappropriate comments whilst continually smacking guests with his cane perfectly (although in my head, I could see the opening conversation in the pre-film UK Orange adverts: 'What the hell was that?'). Finally, we have Saldana of Avatar and Star Trek success. Her character had NOTHING going on! NOTHING! She started out as a slightly mercurial individual but quickly deteriorated to a naggy, whingey, nothingy supporting character with little to do other than run around after Marsden and fend off Luke Wilson.

Highlighted Quote:
"It's not a mood if he's always in it; it's his personality"

In A Few Words:
"Uninspired, unnecessary, unfunny mess"

Total Score:
2/10


Matthew Stogdon