Death at a Funeral

I am a sucker for British farces, if they're well done. I say this to let you know that I have the frame of mind to like this sort of thing-and if you don't like farce (ridiculous situations, people making silly faces, some overacting and a bathroom joke) then you will not like Death at a Funeral. I, however, loved it. It's the story of a British funeral, organized by the deceased man's son, Daniel. Daniel is desperate to get away from his mother (the beautiful and snide Jane Asher) and move in with his terribly nice girlfriend, Jane. But he can't do it without the money from his brother Robert, the famous novelist, who promised he would pay for half the funeral AND take their mother back to New York for a few weeks. Robert is doing his best to renege on this plan, despite having flown first class from New York to the UK and is wearing what is clearly an expensive suit and watch. he is also the picture of what Americans think of as Eurotrash-the too long hair, the too tan face (hello Jude Law) the European cut (a little tight) suit-the details were just right. There's also his cousin Martha, her brother Troy and her fiance Simon. troy is student AND an amateur pharmacist and Simon is nervous about seeing Martha's father, who doesn't like him...let's just say when Martha gives Simon what she thinks is a Valium but which turns out to be a powerful psychedelic...oh God it was funny. And I haven't even mentioned Peter Dinklage, who shows up the blackmail the brothers over some pictures of himself with their father. Simon ends up naked on the roof, Peter ends up stuffed into a coffin, everyone ends up screaming at everyone else..and finally they have a funeral. There are a handful of hilarious moments in this movie, all of which make it worth seeing. I'll warn you though, if you don't like farce (and I cringed at Uncle Alfie and Howard's bathroom scene) this is NOT the movie for you.