Plot: The youngest son of a legendary Hollywood producer accepts a bribe from his father to document his death.
Review
The death of an insignificant Hollywood player results in a family gathering, spearheaded by his three sons, alongside extended dysfunctional relations and hangers-on. A hit on the festival circuit, Christopher Jaymes’ debut feature comes on as the bastard offspring of Festen and The Funeral, but without the paedophilia or the gangsters. The idea of the brothers fulfilling their father’s last wish by making a documentary of his death’s immediate aftermath is forgotten relatively early, and the already dark tone gets more serious, but the likeably unlikeable ensemble cast is uniformly excellent, and there are some real laughs to be had; particularly from Jeremy Sisto, who spends much of the film on an extended ecstasy trip in a yellow bathrobe. The “Daddy’s Dead” piano singalong is also a great setpiece.
Verdict: Despite the dark tone, the likeably unlikeable ensemble cast is uniformly excellent, and there are some real laughs to be had.
Back to IN MEMORY OF MY FATHER
in memory of my father