Last night I finally sat down to watch this black comedy. It never caught my eye when it was released. It is an American remake of the 2007 British version and sticks to the storyline with little change. Funnily enough it has one of the same actors in the remake - Peter Dinklage who plays a vital role in the film. The film is based on a death that brings an estranged family together and naturally chaos occurs.
The storyline is predictable but the delivery of it surprised me. I am not a fan of Chris Rock, I find any serious role he plays to be unbelievable and I have never found his comedy funny and I was not proved wrong in this film. He played Aaron, the son of the man who died and it is his relationship with his brother Ryan, played by Martin Lawrence, which is strained. Lawrence takes the spotlight ironically considering he is the golden child in the film. The idea that death brings a family together tends to lend itself to some truth in many of our lives. It is what people can relate to in the film. Nobody is perfect and it is the scandals and mishaps that bring any family closer.
Peter Dinklage plays the deceased fathers secret mini-lover and bringing him back into the remake provides continuity between the two films which I like. The fact that he is a dwarf enhances the comedy as the father and he are polar opposites. His character is not really developed much in the film which I would have liked, there is no explanation as to why he is looking to bribe the family for £30,000 for intimate pictures of the two lovers and only shows his character to be a low-life and not really a 'lover'.
James Marsden really surprised me in this film. He plays Oscar, the fiancé of one of the cousins in the film who unknowingly gets drugged. His acting is brilliant in this and most of my laughs came from the scenes he was in. He is a very good comedic actor and has definitely found his forte. He is best known for his role as Cyclops in 'X-Men' which he plays with seriousness the role needs. His comedic acting was first shown to me in 'Enchanted' as Prince Edward. Since then I have been a fan of his as he has a likeability factor and a talent for playing the silly aspect of quite normal men. Along with him is Tracey Morgan who plays the annoying family friend Norman. He has a fast-paced humour and always seems to play the guy that bad luck falls on and this doesn’t stop in this role. He pulls it off well and definitely stands out amongst a group of actors who are very similar.
Overall the film has some funny and unexpected moments and particular actors make it worth watching. It may not be the most original of films but it caters to the modern audiences well. It transcends both British and American humour which can be a difficult task. It's something I've watched once but wouldn’t watch again.
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