Death At A Funeral: A Quick Review

Unfortunately I saw Death At a Funeral in the wrong order. I started with the black version (or American version) and then I saw the original British version. I know, I know I am a very bad person, let's move forward. Now I am assuming that the British version is completely original and that there is no ORIGINAL original. These next statements are completely based off this assumption. Frank Oz directed the original and that makes me extremely happy because he is also the voice of Yoda from Star Wars. Anyways Death At a Funeral follows the oldest son of a deceased patriarch attempting to hold a dignified sending off of his father. But things start to take a hilarious turn for the worse, mostly because of the greatest acid trip of all time and the appearance of the dead father's gay midget lover who is trying to blackmail the family. That plus other side stories draw every character together in some way. It's like a delicately connected Shakespeare play and boy it is done masterfully. Now again sadly I saw the black version first and I did enjoy it. After viewing the 

British version it becomes painfully clear that the black version has shamefully stolen every single scene and most of the dialogue with only a few added scenes. It really is the same film. What I can appreciate about the black version, is that is much more fantastically cast the British version. The only standout actor from the British version is Alan Tudyk, but even his role is done just as well by James Marsden. The rest of the cast shines above and beyond the British version and is definitely a funnier movie. Both films have their strengths and weaknesses and each deserve a viewing.

-Christopher O'Connell