Undertaking Betty (2002) User Reviews

Excellent black humour

[Jose E · 7/10 · 4 December 2003]

Once again seeing this kind of movies turns me more and more into English humor, not too often seen on screen since the days of Monty Python and Man About The House. Too bad.

Brenda Blethyn (Who I first saw in Saving Grace early in the year, another must see by the way.) just excels, as Alfred Molina does. The rest of the cast, while virtually unknown to me, turns on great performances too. The film starts slowly and gradually gains in pace and amusement - midway I had tears in my eyes from laughing.

All in all, a funny English movie, a thousand times better than the supposedly 'funny' garbage that comes from Hollywood.

:)

[Dockelektro · 8/10 · 17 March 2003]

Hilarious from start to finish, there's got to be great courage to handle the theme of death with a smile, specially when two funeral parlors are battling for control of the market: a classic parlor and a revolutionary one where every funeral is a show, lead by Christopher Walken, a treat in the role of the visionary american mortitian. But the rest of the cast is great also, and this one is another success that only UK is capable of making. Surprising among the ensemble cast is Naomi Watts, that strikes in another metamorphosis (accent included). Always sporting a smile on its face, it seems like a paradox that there could be so much comedy to be taken from a movie that could be called "Four Funerals and One Wedding", but you'll understand when you see it.

Funny Funerals with Fluff

[manoilmarv · 7/10 · 20 December 2005]

A humorous voyage into the normally somber funeral business. It's easy watching, and even offers Blethyn & Molina stealing a scene from an old Fred & Ginger movie. Walken is over the top as a zealous competitor of Molina in the undertaking business, trying to bring a new style to an old Welsh town. We see a couple of very funny examples of the "new style". The plot thickens with Pugh having an affair with Watts, and her suggesting that they do Blethyn in. Meanwhile Molina has rekindled his long suffering romantic feeling for Blethyn, and convinces her to fake her death so that they can run away to the South Seas, and dance away their days together. During the "fake" funeral Blethyn learns of her husbands' infidelities and plots her revenge. Watch it for a view of what funerals probably should be--a celebration of life!

Plots With A View And Secrets

[Chrysanthepop · 20 February 2009]

I have always been a fan of Britcoms and Nick Hurran's 'Plots With A View' is another hilarious addition to that list. It's sort of a funeral comedy that tells an unusual story of love, competition and revenge. The screenplay is wonderful and the film provides dozens of laugh out loud moments. The locations are refreshing and breathtaking. The cast is exceptional. Robert Pugh, Alfred Molina, Brenda Blethyn, Naomi Watts and Christopher Walken are like never seen before. Pugh is superb as the jerk of a cheating husband. Alfred Molina is the perfect gentleman/mortician. Blethyn beautifully downplays the part of the simple, slightly naive and lovable Betty. Naomi Watts plays the sluttish bimbette secretary and is overdone with makeup and props which makes her stupendously suitable for the part. Both she and Walkens prove their flair for comedy. Walken, well, I do not want to give away much. One just has to watch and see. 'Plots With A View', while being an immensely amusing comedy, pays tribute to ballroom dancing. The dance numbers are well executed. There's one with Walken and Evans and two or three with Molina and Blethyn. All of them performed fantastically. Molina and Blethyn actually prove to be quite good dancers. If one is looking for something to laugh then 'Plots With A View' is definitely the movie to recommend.

Who knew funerals could be so much fun?

[Melimea · 7/10 · 7 November 2006]

Only the Brits could make a film like this and have it be so tastefully charming! Betty (Brenda Blethyn) wants something more out of life, but she doesn't know what, when she realizes she is in love with her childhood friend, Boris (Alfred Molina), who owns the local funeral parlor. Meanwhile, an American mortician (Christopher Walken) who "wants to put the 'fun' back in funerals" moves into this small Welsh community with his assistant (Lee Evans) and wants to give Boris a run for his money with flashy, themed funerals. (Star Trek funeral, anyone?) Brenda and Boris decide to stage Brenda's death and funeral, with hilarious results. A very enjoyable film - if you're a fan of British comedies such as "Waking Ned Devine", you'll love this.

plot and plots

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 6 January 2007]

Watching "Plots with a View" (called "Undertaking Betty" in the US), I got the feeling that there need to be more movies filmed in Wales. This one portrays a woman (Brenda Blethyn) in a small Welsh town trying to get away from her cheating husband. So, she and the funeral parlor manager (Alfred Molina) come up with a plan...but there are likely to be some glitches along the way.

I would actually say that Christopher Walken's character is the neatest in the movie (how could he not be?). But overall, the whole idea is just a really neat one, stacked with some "uh oh" moments...especially the haunted house scene. It's the sort of movie that I wish that I could enter, just to experience it.

Also starring Lee Evans, Naomi Watts and Miriam Margoyles.

Funny flick

[deexsocalygal · 6/10 · 15 August 2020]

The undertaker & Betty have been in love since high school. But Betty is in a loveless marriage to someone else & he fools around on her with his secretary. Betty & the undertaker decide to fake Betty's death so they can leave town & finally be together. The funeral is funny. Betty lays in a coffin pretending to be dead & overhears her husband confess he's happy to get all her money. The girlfriend confesses to trying to poison her. This pisses Betty off so much that she decides it's not over yet after the funeral. Betty wants revenge & plans on haunting her husband & his secretary. The owners of the local funeral homes get together to help Betty plan her come back from the grave. They put on a good show haunting Betty's husband & his girlfriend. It's funny watching them freak out as Betty's ghost gets revenge.

Very British, dark humor and hamming it up

[joost-de-haan · 6/10 · 11 September 2019]

Decent film and a clear British style of dark humor. There are some proper actors in there, but the main instruction for them was apparently to exaggerate, but this adds to the overall atmosphere. The Walken storyline is not needed for the story, just like the cooky ending, but it is what makes this film more memorable than it would've been otherwise

An enjoyable laugh out loud British comedy

[srogers-4 · 9/10 · 20 May 2003]

I found this a very enjoyable light hearted comedy set in Wales with some truly funny sequences highlighting the rivalry between two funeral directors. The showbiz ideas used by Christopher Walken's character to liven up his funerals are genuinely laugh out loud moments.

Subtitle: How to waste a great cast in 90 minutes...

[SONNYK_USA · 3/10 · 9 May 2004]

Oddball black-comedy romance featuring a great cast and a less than stellar script. Brenda Blethyn ("Lovely & Amazing") is the title character 'Betty', a woman trapped in a loveless marriage with a man who is obviously having an affair with his beautiful, blonde secretary. Guess who's playing this minor role, yup! Naomi Watts ("Mulholland Drive") must of sandwiched this project in before her superstar status was insured with the blockbuster thriller "The Ring."

On the male side of the cast list there's the woefully miscast Alfred Molina ("Frida") an old-fashioned undertaker who suddenly decides to reveal his desires for 'Betty' which have lain dormant for decades. Perhaps Miramax is hoping Molina's turn in the upcoming "Spider-Man 2" might generate some interest in this little trinket which belongs on the DVD rental shelf.

But the award for wildest thankless performance goes to Christopher Walken ("Catch Me if You Can") who goes completely over the top as 'modern' undertaker with his Vegas-style funerals in a small provincial town. His character must have parachuted into the village because there's little reason for him to exist in this script.

That said, if you'd like to see some top-notch actors engage in some low-brow humor then this one's for you, and if this isn't your cup-of-tea then try renting "Harold and Maude," the ultimate funeral movie that's still funny to this day.

Very funny and sweet comedy. Britcom at its best!

[wilfinger-1 · 9/10 · 2 October 2002]

Very lovely love story between Brenda Blethyn and Alfred Molina. The whole story is very bizarre and funny. An undertaker (A. Molina) loves a married woman (B.Blethyn). They try to fake her death to escape her husband and the village. A scenario of strange situations starts. As good as SAVING GRACE and LONG LIVE NED DEVINE.

Some funny scenes but only not memorable

[dirtychild · 5/10 · 18 February 2005]

Plots with a View is set in a small Welsh village where the local Funeral Director falls for a customer. He gets involved with a competing Funeral Director who organises "Fantasy" funerals where people get to play out their fantasies in their funeral.

While there are some excellent, truly funny scenes here (including the very funny Spock Sister funeral), and some nice touches (like the musical dancing numbers) - this movie isn't the best thing out there.

The leading couple don't seem to have much of a spark between one another (I guess they are not the most attractive of couples!).

Christopher Walken gives a good performance of slightly maniac undertaker but the rest are pretty forgettable.

Overall - OK but not memorable.

A wonderful comedy! A must-see for side-splitting hilarity!

[carol-geesey · 10/10 · 8 March 2003]

This movie is one of the funniest I have seen in years. A movie which deals with death and funerals without being depressing, or irreverant. Christopher Walken provides much of the comedy in this charming romance and I could hardly breathe for laughing so hard.

I saw the movie a preview, and when it was over, the audience not only applauded, but cheered. I am telling all my friends to watch for it's arrival in the USA. I definitely plan on seeing it again in the theater and purchasing it on DVD as soon as it's available.

great romantic comedy sorely missed in the states

[kiernan65441 · 6 July 2004]

This was a wonderful film. My wife and I saw it on a princess cruise last year, and while it was an obvious plug for the cruise line, we thought the acting was superb (especially Christoper Walken). The story line is not your typical romance but the funerary background was an excellent twist. We both love Alfred Molina's acting and character that he portrayed however Walken steals the show with truly insane comedic genius. The way Walken's character tries to fulfill the deceased's supposed unrequited wishes in life in a uniquely expressive send off will have you rolling in the aisles. We kept waiting to see it in the states and have wanted to recommend it to our friends. I understand that it may come out with a different title and only in limited release, but we would love to see it again.

Recycled Comedy, but still o.k.

[Robert-Lander · 5/10 · 23 June 2003]

Take Funny Bones, Saving Grace and Blow Dry, mash the scenes together and you will come up with a movie like Plots with a View. Even the appearances of Christopher Walken and Alfred Molina can't give this movie much that doesn't make it look like a copy of better movies. Yet, still o.k. to watch and better than most comedies that made it to the big screen in recent months.

an enjoyable little comedy

[jwest525 · 9/10 · 30 December 2002]

I saw this in a preview and it seems to have not been released in the U.S. Nonetheless, it was one of the more enjoyable little comedies. It concerns the rivalry between two funeral directors in a small British town. The plot [of the movie] gets a little out of hand in the third act but the characters are very enjoyable and memorable.

The acting is great across the board. Sure to be overlooked in the crunch of blockbusters, this is a movie worth looking out for. I know I will try to catch this in the theaters again and/or buy the video.

No apologies for the Puns-They are Intentional

[politicon2003 · 5/10 · 4 September 2008]

It's a pity the title of the film as released in the USA is "Betty the Undertaker". How uninspiring! The original title is "Plots with a View" and is a subtle hint at the actual main theme of the film. I can't imagine why the distributors would want to change it.

Death and funerals are difficult themes for a director to use in making a successful dark comedy movie. The best was probably the Alfred Hitchcock movie "The Trouble With Harry" in 1955, but the one that was most uproariously funny in my opinion was "Weekend at Bernie's", in 1989. I never stopped laughing until it hurt.

"Roseana's Grave" is on a par with "Plots With a View" in that I found both films slightly amusing, but improving somewhat as they went on. In "Roseana's Grave" the plot is that there is a shortage of plots in a certain Italian village and there is a kind of resurrection; in "Plots with a View" the theme is a rivalry between undertakers (the village is too small for two of them) and there is also a "resurrection". In both movies we watch a loving couple figuratively go off to the sunset at the end.

The trouble with "Plots with a View" is that it took a long time to begin to get funny after a promising false start involving two cats and a cantankerous bed-ridden mother-in-law. In fact my wife gave up watching the film after the first forty minutes as neither of us had even sniggered to that point. "So much for British humour" thought I. I was expecting something in the line of Monty Python, The Ealing Studios original "The Lady killers" (not the pallid Tom Hanks imitation) or the better of the Carry-On team film series. No this was, indeed more continental than British humour despite the South Wales setting.

Fortunately, things do warm up afterwards and I found myself progressively giggling (but not rolling on the floor with laughter) as I had with Roseana's Grave, a European black comedy film. The plot thickens in the village "Wrottyn Powys" (pronounced Rotten Poohs, I wonder?) and there are some nice comical twists. I have seldom, if ever, seen Christopher Walken in comedy. I suppose the nearest was his part as a kidnapped mafia don in "Suicide Kings", also a dark comedy where he plays the straight role. Naomi Watts was also unexpectedly good as a comedian, the lover-cum-secretary of "the deceased's" husband. The last time I saw her on the screen was in a leading straight part in "Mulholland Drive" (an intriguing fantasy film). Albert Molina had a relatively straight part as Mayor of a little French town in the fantasy-melodrama "Chocolat", loosely derived from the Mexican original (Chocolat itself was shamelessly copied in the popular Greek TV comedy series "Café of Delights"). In "Plots With a View" Molina is cast as the village undertaker who is in love with the local big-wig's wife and has to put up with new competition from a deranged jazzy American rival (Walken with an over the top hair-style that makes him look a bit like either an Elvis Presley look alike or one of the Three Stooges).

The film is in bad taste, as dark comedies involving death or funerals, usually are by definition but if you can get over or fast forward the uninspiring first forty minutes it is quite enjoyable if you feel like a break from more serious material.

Almost as good as "Waking Ned Devine"

[the2kerrys · 9/10 · 7 March 2004]

Two funeral directors in a Welsh village? English humour as opposed to that other stuff from over the Atlantic? How could I resist. My wife and I saw it on March the 6th for our belated Valentines day celebration and both of us enjoyed some good belly laughs. We were going to see another movie later but decided not to because we wanted the experience of THIS movie to stay with us for the evening.

The mortuary scene in the last 20 minutes of the film is worth the wait. It raises issues rarely talked about in the community, but I know three funeral directors, and the humour is right on the money

Highly recommended and congratulations to the writers. Without you all the actors, directors and the others havn't a job on any Monday.

For crying out loud

[WoutervanVliet · 19 August 2003]

I just saw Lots with a View as a surprise advance premiere (or: sneak preview) and it was quite funny. Yeah, it was actually a very good movie. I just read another user comment on it that it's hard to deal with the subject of Death in a comedy movie. It indeed is. And I'm still battling with myself over the question if they did a good job.

On one had, it was funny. On the other hand: it comes as a slap in the face for everybody who has (just) lost a loved one. Willie's talk about his mother broke me; a dying wife or grandma may break you. And would Dr. Spock die, no real Star Trek fan would ever be able to watch this movie.

For everybody else: you'll have an exquisite laugh.

Disappointing

[wilsr · 2/10 · 31 December 2008]

A good idea let down by heavy-handed production.

Quite a bit of the dialogue was unintelligible because of the level of music/background sound, and this didn't help this reviewer. Nor did the Welsh accents, pretty impenetrable at times. Towards the end I lost the will to live trying to follow the dialogue.

This movie didn't know whether to be a farce or a black comedy - and they require different approaches. Some of the incidents were laid on so thick that they only merited a groan, some were so unbelievable even for this sort of plot that they made the story just not worth following.

The acting was in the main good - although the American just came over as a clone of the "Back to the future" mad scientist. The little boy was very good.

I did watch it all the way through but God knows why: I can't remember laughing once.

Delightful English Comedy

[MagicStarfire · 10/10 · 28 February 2007]

Betty and Boris eye each other at a junior dance when they're still kids, but unfortunately Hugh gets to her first and thirty years later when we tune back in--Betty is married to Hugh and putting up with his fussy mother, who also lives with them.

Neither Boris, nor Betty, however, have forgotten each other and when their paths cross again, they soon declare their feelings.

But Betty feels she can't divorce Hugh, a Councilman, it would hurt him too much. What Betty doesn't know is, Hugh isn't hurting at all. He's rolling in the sheets with his beautiful secretary Meredith.

Boris, an undertaker, thinks he has the answer. They'll fake her death.

Christopher Walken plays Frank Featherbed, an outrageous, competing undertaker in their medium-sized town--that causes additional problems for Boris and Betty.

All kinds of complications arise as Boris and Betty try to pull off this major coup.

There are laugh out-loud scenes, some delightful dancing, and nary a curse word to be heard. In short, the film was a pleasure to watch.

10 stars.

A bluebird cast with a turkey face

[randelcole · 2/10 · 26 June 2006]

The premise is interesting and the cast does the best it can, but the script and the directorial effort are so poor that it is not surprising that this film was buried--which is fitting given the screenplay. As I watched this, I could not decide which was worse, the screenplay, or the directing. The actors are over the top, the art direction looks like a Disney movie, the music is contrived, and the sentiment so sweet that it gives viewers cavities. It's a bad attempt to imitate "FOur Weddings And A funeral". If one wants to watch comedy that is as flat as a pancake and how poor direction can turn a story into cavity sweetness, this is a good one to watch.

"The root word of funeral is 'fun'"

[questionmarkunderscore · 23 November 2004]

And fun this movie is. I saw this on Cinemax a few months ago, and it wasn't so bad. As another reviewer said, it just has its moments, but those moments are pure gold (better than the tripe Americans usually churn out and call "comedy"). It's not a terrific film, but as something to watch on the tube, it's perfect. Alfred Molina and Brenda Blethlyn deliver good performances, but my favorite has to be Christopher Walken as Featherbed, the whacko American with his Star Trek and other themed funerals (although I don't know what he's doing in Wales).

Overall, it's a solid (albeit rather predictable) comedy.

Very Enjoyable

[wee_scottish_lassie · 10/10 · 1 January 2005]

I think this movie deserves a 10 out of 10 because it is hilariously funny from start to finish. The plot is simple and straight forward but it keeps you watching and there are so many laughs that you really start to love it. When I went to see this movie I hadn't heard much about it and I didn't know what to expect. I thought it was going to be an old ladies' type of film like Calendar Girls or something but it took me completely by surprise. Even though I am still a teenager and the film was probably not directed at my age group, I still found it excellent and I think that people of all age groups would like it. I think it is a shame that it is not at all famous and it deserves more publicity so that more people will go and see it and realize what a great movie it is.

hilarious

[scifisuede · 10/10 · 4 May 2005]

I accidentally bumped into this film on Cinemax while channel surfing. I must admit that what attracted me was Christopher Walken. And the setting was the kind I would like, so I started to watch it. At first I expected a serious drama film, and it seemed like so for a while... until I started to giggle here and there, and before I know it I was laughing so hard all through the film. I really like how subtle and light-hearted it is, but still has a huge impact on the audience. The plot is very simple, and it's far from trying too hard to be funny like many Hollywood "comedies" are, yet it almost had me rolling on the floor. A must see for a nice evening rest, or any time in that case.