Gallows humor

Funerals always seem to keep us on our toes, seeing as how we never know exactly what we’re in for. Whether tearful, pensive, bittersweet or madcap, funerals and the movies they appear in always keep us guessing.
From the opening scene of “Death at a Funeral,” in which we see Daniel (Matthew Macfadyen), a survivor of his late father, peek into a wooden casket and say to funeral directors, “That’s not my father,” guessing is no longer required; we know we’re in for an unusual treat.
Daniel appears as a stressed and fruitless writer fighting for the support of his family while living in the shadow of his world-renowned novelist big brother. Nothing goes right for Daniel. While stumbling to sum up his father’s life in a eulogy written on index cards, chaos ensues after Daniel’s soon-to-be cousin-in-law Simon (Alan Tudyk) accidently ingests LSD and insists the coffin is moving.
The movie extends its hilarity with wild events such as these, each one building upon its predecessor. Although your brain will tell you that such a concentrated form of bad omens is unrealistic, they are nevertheless funny. Good acting and laughter are birthed from this chaos, as Simon’s hallucinations lead to profound observations of his life, as Daniel’s insecurities lead to an ultimately powerful eulogy, and as relatives are haunted by buried family secrets more alive than the deceased man who hid them.
The special-features on this DVD are nothing to write home about, however. There are two commentaries on the disc, featuring the insight of the director, writer and various actors, but you do have to watch the movie two more times to fully enjoy them. The only other feature is a gag reel showing bloopers of dropped lines, which gets tiresome after a while.
Though the special feature section is where the disc falls short, it’s hard not to enjoy this comedy, a film that smiles rather than frowns at the inevitability of death, all the while cashing in on the humanity of yearning to laugh at the unfunny.