The Funeral (1996)

Little seen and rarely mentioned when discussing gangster films, Abel Ferrara’s alternate take on the genre is one that deserves a wider audience than it probably gets. Roger Ebert describes the gangsters in the film as the type “that the Corleone’s might have become, had they gone to college.” It’s easy to see Ebert’s point, the expected violence often never materialises, often replaced by philosophical conversation. Christopher Walken essentially slightly calms his performance from True Romance (1993) and offers that for Ferrara, and as you’d expect, it works a treat. Walken is Ray Tempio, the cold and calculated brother of hot tempered Chez (a fantastic Chris Penn). Their brother Johnny has been murdered, and the film begins at the family funeral where we learn that the number one suspect is rival gangster Gaspare Spoglia, an always welcome Benicio Del Toro. We learn in flashbacks the type of person Johnny was, a different kettle of fish to either Ray or Chez. The Funeral is an interesting proposition, and works well as an alternative to your Godfathers or Goodfellas of this world. There’s a more claustrophobic feel to it, meaning the intimacy is highly proficient, allowing you to feel a part of the family as the truth behind Johnny’s murder is unraveled. The culmination of the film is hard hitting but perhaps not as satisfying as you might hope; although that does depend on how your feelings for the characters have played out throughout the film. Either way Ferrara’s relatively brief gangster pic is well worth tracking down, all the performances are effective which is vital in such an intimate film, although it doesn’t hit the heights of the films it’s attempting to veer away from. 7.1/10