Death? it comes for us all. It?s really just a matter of
timing. So what better way to cope ? and even mock ? such a grim inevitability
than to laugh at it? This week I?ve chosen two black comedies focusing on the
cold touch of the reaper to do just that.
Death at a Funeral (2007)
3.5 stars out of 5
In a word, it?s very British. The playfully titled ?Death at
a Funeral,? directed by Frank Oz (?The Stepford Wives?) was released in summer
of 2007 but just made it to DVD last week. As the title and tagline ?Last
Rites. And Wrongs? suggests, the film is all about the funeral of a father, at
which nothing goes as planned. With plenty of sibling rivalry, family
dysfunction, cranky relatives and a guy accidentally hopped up on acid, it was
doomed long before a mysterious man arrives to blackmail the family with the
threat of exposing a dark secret about the father. Just imagine all that with
the typical wacky ?Brit-comedy? levity.
For the most part, the jokes are very well chosen: a grab
bag of wacky, subtle, dark and real, only seldom going over the top. Though by
the end, when a total of three people have taken a hallucinogen (stored in a
Valium bottle), it warrants more of a groan than a laugh. Similarly, casting
one character as a little person doesn?t seem to have any logical reason other
than perhaps the insolent thought that little people are funny.
These questionable decisions can be largely overlooked,
though, because on the whole the film never really feels that far-fetched. Tensions
and emotions are high at a funeral where nearly everyone?s focus is not on the dearly
departed. In fact, the entire feel of the movie is a light, silly one, owing
much to the wonderfully playful score that seems entirely out of place and yet
appropriate at the same time. It?s this general contrast, the complete lack of
the expected solemnity and respect, that makes ?Death at a Funeral? hilarious.
The cast works as a collective whole to create the frenzy,
without anyone really dropping the ball. You?ll recognize a lot of faces, but
probably not many names aside from maybe Matthew MacFayden (?Pride &
Prejudice?) as the son of the deceased father.
This is not the end all, be all of British comedies by any
means, but a definite success no doubt. ?Death at a Funeral? is worth the time
of anyone who appreciates dark comedy, Brit-comedies or is as weary of the sad
state of American comedies as I am.
Death Becomes Her (1992)
4.5 stars out of 5
This is a black comedy classic, no doubt, starring Meryl
Streep (?Lions for Lambs?), Goldie Hawn (?The Banger Sisters?) and Bruce Willis
(?Live Free or Die Hard?). ?Death Becomes Her? incorporates a fantasy twist to
the morbid subject as the two gals take their rivalry to the extreme by taking
an immortality potion. However, neither takes good care of her body and they
start decaying, despite being immortal. But Willis, who plays Hawn?s former
fiancee and Streep?s wife (and also happens to be a mortician) has soon tasted
enough madness trying to maintain their bodies and takes advantage of the ??til
death do us part? contract, which has actually been fulfilled.
Like Streep and Hawn (in both the movie and real life),
?Death Becomes Her? is timeless and hasn?t aged much. Although it won the Oscar
for best special effects, they seem a little shoddy by today?s standards. However,
the comedy is as sharp as ever. The script is a riot, putting the characters in
the most absurd situations. Just imagine an immortal Streep shooting a similarly
immortal Hawn in the stomach with a shotgun only to have Hawn get up and start
dueling Streep with shovels, all while Willis is freaking out in the
background. The dialogue is always witty and bitchy as is only fitting for the
legendary actresses.
As far as comedies go, ?Death Becomes Her? is one of the
better ones, and as far as dark comedies go, it?s near the top of the list. One
might call it overly ridiculous, but it?s kept in balance by amazing
performances and a killer script. The film is definitely not to be missed by
any fan of Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn or dark comedies in general, but ?Death
Becomes Her? is a solid 104 minutes of laughs for anyone with a pulse. Better
still, it?s on TV pretty often.
Ah, the sweet, danse macabre in which we all partake. I
figure we can live in fear of it or live comfortably laughing at it. For more
humor at the expense of the Grim Reaper, check out ?Wristcutters: a Love
Story,? a romantic dark comedy taking place in the part of the underworld
designated for suicides, coming out late this month.
Got more
dark comedy (or Meryl Streep) suggestions for me? Don?t fear the Reaper, e-mail
me at [email protected]
