Manic British comedy attempts to speed up an initially slow start by introducing more and more absurdities into a funeral gathering until actually becoming anything worth laughing at.
Though it tries to sweep viewers into any impending ridiculousness with increasing fervor, too often Death at a Funeral feels forced where it should feel funny.
Certainly with a script not as dry as most British comedies and direction by Frank Oz, the movie feels calibrated for a cross-pollination market with enough restraint and shock to appease both sides. To that degree the movie is a relative success, if ever so modestly.
Though it tries to sweep viewers into any impending ridiculousness with increasing fervor, too often Death at a Funeral feels forced where it should feel funny.
Certainly with a script not as dry as most British comedies and direction by Frank Oz, the movie feels calibrated for a cross-pollination market with enough restraint and shock to appease both sides. To that degree the movie is a relative success, if ever so modestly.