FILM: Death at a Funeral? It was more like death in the audience

You have to wonder what was running through Neil LaBute’s mind when he decided to direct a remake of an at best mediocre British film, which was only released three years ago. Alas, here we are with Death at a Funeral 2.0: the really boring American version.

Unusually for a remake, short-statured actor Peter Dinklage reprises his role as Frank, an unexpected funeral guest with a mysterious connection to the deceased. When Frank confesses the real reason he is attending to Aaron and Ryan Barnes, sons of the dead man played by Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence respectively, and tries to bribe them for money, all hell breaks loose.

While the original worked reasonably well with its understated gags and subtle irony, the Yanks have copied and then shot bullets through each joke, exaggerating and adding unnecessary bluntness to a script that was already pretty paint-by-numbers. In doing so they have created a film that is far more cringe-worthy, overacted and, as a result, devoid of any hilarity.

It isn’t hard to see why Dinklage accepted the same role again; this is arguably the most name-droppable cast he’s ever been paid to star alongside, though Death at a Funeral is a career low for most of them (aside from James Marsden, who plays a hilarious ‘accidental’ pill-popper). Though not given much screen time, Dinklage does act his part reasonably well, in fact it is the rest of the cast that are the problem.

Like the original, for all its tongue-in-cheek gags, the American film awkwardly dances around Frank’s disability. There are a couple of references, someone identifies him as “that short guy”, but even when the entire cast is pissed off with him, they seem too afraid to insult him. It isn’t believable. Let’s face it: it is hard not to point out unusual characteristics about someone when you are angry and want to hurt them.

As a result it’s all rather stiffly acted; the other characters are devoid of any emotional attachment to Frank despite the fact that he’s done something extremely hurtful.

Sometimes, just sometimes, it is okay to laugh at disability. This is a toilet humour film, surely it is begging for a couple of short gags? For example, when Frank is dropped into the coffin alongside the dead body, it’s quite funny that because of his height he looks as though he’s doing something unquestionably rude to his former lover. But all we get are uncomfortable, robotic stares from Rock, Lawrence and co. who, at this point, are probably wondering why on earth they thought this film might be a good idea.

Cathy Reay

• Death at a Funeral is in cinemas on 4 June via Sony Pictures. Duration: 92 min.