Meet the Barnes in "Death at a Funeral"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 66 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux


Death at a Funeral (2010)
Running time: 92 minutes (1 hour, 32 minutes)
MPAA – R for language, drug content and some sexual humor
DIRECTOR: Neil LaBute
WRITER: Dean Craig
PRODUCERS: William Horberg, Sidney Kimmel, Laurence Malkin, Chris Rock, and Share Stallings
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Rogier Stoffers
EDITOR: Tracey Wadmore-Smith
COMPOSER: Christophe Beck

COMEDY

Starring: Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Keith David, Loretta Devine, Peter Dinklage, Ron Glass, Danny Glover, Regina Hall, Kevin Hart, James Marsden, Tracy Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Columbus Short, and Luke Wilson

The recent Chris Rock-Martin Lawrence film, Death at a Funeral, is a remake of a 2007 British film of the same name. This black comedy (or dark comedy) observes a family as its members come together to mourn a beloved husband and father, even as shocking revelations and festering resentments arise.

The elder son, Aaron Barnes (Chris Rock), is managing the funeral of his recently deceased father. Aaron is also preparing to move on with his life, which includes moving him and his wife, Michelle (Regina King), out of his parents’ house, especially because his mother, Cynthia Barnes (Loretta Devine), keeps reminding them that they haven’t given her any grandchildren. Aaron is hoping that his younger brother, Ryan (Martin Lawrence), a successful author, will help him cover the funeral expenses, but the late-arriving Ryan claims temporary financial hardship.

Meanwhile, relatives are arriving, bringing their baggage and family feuds with them. Oh, and a stranger named Frank (Peter Dinklage), who claims to have been a close friend of the deceased, has come bearing secrets.

So much of Death at a Funeral is in very bad taste, but that is also why the film is so funny. With its missing and abused corpses, fecal humor, nudity, and unabashed raunchiness, Death at a Funeral is only a stylized and slightly-exaggerated depiction of how problematical family get-togethers, even funerals, can be. Director Neil LaBute also does a mostly good job keeping things hopping by unveiling one outrage after another, so that the audience can never really catch its breath before the next indignity comes along.

The main problem with this movie is that I don’t think the headliners for this film, Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence, are really suited for large ensembles. They’ve certainly been part of smaller, star-driven ensembles (Lawrence in Wild Hogs and Rock in the recent Grown Ups), but both are at their best when the entire movie is built around them. Here, they have to share too much screen time.

My quibble isn’t the fault of the writing because screenwriter Dean Craig (who wrote the original film) has done a superb job creating so many engaging, three-dimensional characters. It is simply that they all deserve more screen time than they get. Most of them are such fun that their short time on screen comes across as a shortcoming on the part of the entire movie. Still, this movie is funny, and maybe also useful to the viewers. The next time you need an antidote to a painful family social event, Death at a Funeral is a reminder that there is laughter even in the most trouble-filled family gatherings.

6 of 10
B

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Danny Glover's Short Film "Second Life" Debuts Online

Danny Glover’s Newest Short Film Debuts on The Responsibility Project


“Second Line” Reminds Viewers to “Do the Right Thing”

Directed by Danny Glover and Produced by Moving Parts, Inc.

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Liberty Mutual Group:
About the Film: A neighbor, a friend or a stranger in need of a small act of kindness often passes by us unnoticed. It’s a decision we make every day — “Am I too busy to lend a moment of my time to another person?” Despite overloaded schedules and the struggle to balance the responsibilities of daily life, it’s important to remember how little time it takes to “do the right thing.”

Danny Glover directs and stars in the latest short film from Liberty Mutual’s Responsibility Project entitled, “Second Line.” Glover portrays a wealthy and frustrated businessman who is forced to walk to work after his car will not start. The man, characterized as being too busy and self-consumed to notice the people and places he passes, rushes through the streets of San Francisco. Viewers join the man on what appears to be an ordinary walk to work. After breezing past others in need, the man arrives at work and finally realizes all that he has missed. A changed expression appears on his face and he suddenly becomes present again as he helps a homeless man on the street. The film ends as the businessman enters his office building, turns around and notices another “lost soul” speeding by.

The four-and-a-half minute short film, “Second Line” was written by Nicole Middleton, directed by Danny Glover and produced by Moving Parts, Inc. The film’s director of photography, Michael Chin, was nominated for an Emmy® in Outstanding Cinematography for “The American Experience,” a series of documentaries on American history. The filmmakers were inspired by the collective spirit of street parades or “second lines,” a long-standing cultural tradition in New Orleans that celebrates family and community. The short film can be found at www.ResponsibilityProject.com.


About the Director:
Danny Glover, who grew up in San Francisco, where “Second Line” was filmed, made his directing debut in 2002 with “Just A Dream.” Glover, a beloved American actor, has produced over 20 films and television productions. He has been nominated for four Emmy® awards and has been recognized for his support of various humanitarian and political causes.

About The Responsibility Project:
The Responsibility Project, created by Liberty Mutual, uses entertainment content to create a forum for people to discuss personal acts of responsibility. Through short films, online content and television programming, The Responsibility Project is a catalyst for examining the decisions that confront people trying to “do the right thing.”

Individuals can participate in online conversations about personal responsibility and also review live-action and animated film shorts on the project’s online community, www.ResponsibilityProject.com.

About Liberty Mutual:
Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group is a diversified global insurer and fifth largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. based on 2008 direct written premium. The Company also ranks 71st on the Fortune 500 list of largest corporations in the U.S. based on 2009 revenue. As of December 31, 2009, Liberty Mutual Group had $109.5 billion in consolidated assets, $94.9 billion in consolidated liabilities and $31.1 billion in annual consolidated revenue.

Liberty Mutual Group offers a wide range of insurance products and services, including personal automobile, homeowners, workers compensation, commercial multiple peril, commercial automobile, general liability, global specialty, group disability, assumed reinsurance, fire and surety.

Liberty Mutual Group (www.libertymutualgroup.com) employs over 45,000 people in more than 900 offices throughout the world.

Where: “Second Line” is available now on http://www.responsibilityproject.com/.