Rating of
2/4
"The Funeral" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 01/27/12
The youngest brother of a trio of gangsters is shot dead and as they gather to mourn his death they relive his final days as they try to find the killer. In common with a lot of Ferrara's films, The Funeral is a very bleak affair, full of unsympathetic characters which makes it a little hard going to watch. Rather like TV series The Sopranos (in fact a couple of the regular cast appear in supporting roles here) it is more a domestic drama set in the world of organized crime rather than a gangster film. The cast is to die for, with Christopher Walken, Benicio Del Toro, Isabella Rosselini, Chris Penn and Vincent Gallo and they all put in solid performances; unfortunately it is very difficult to relate to any of the characters and the unrelenting nihilism combined with the fact that the film ends rather abruptly makes it difficult to feel any emotional involvement. It's still a solidly made and acted film but really only essential viewing for completist fans of the genre and actors involved.
