• Genre: Rock
• Active: 2000s
• Major Members: Thorgeir Gudmundsson, Olafur Jonsson, Lara Sveinsdottir, Ragnar Kjartansson, Thor Grondal, Vidar Gislason
• Representative Album: "Pathetic Me"

Biography

The Funerals, an alt-country collective, hails from Iceland. Comprised of Ragnar Kjartansson (vocals, guitar), Lara Sveinsdottir (vocals), Olafur Jonsson (guitar), Thorgeir Gudmundsson (drums), and Trabant's Thor Grondal (synth) and Vidar Gislason (bass), the Funerals formed in summer 2001. The band was barely three months old when they toured with Neil Strauss, however the experience proved golden. It strengthened the professional unit as well as the musical dynamic. Their debut album, Pathetic Me, appeared on Thule Music in summer 2002. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide

Similar Artists:

Pavement, Palace, Nick Drake

Pathetic Me Buy this CD

• Rating:
• Genre: Crime
• Movie Type: Gangster Film, Family Drama
• Themes: Sibling Relationships, Haunted By the Past, Family Gatherings
• Director: Abel Ferrara
• Main Cast: Christopher Walken, Chris Penn, Vincent Gallo, Isabella Rossellini, Annabella Sciorra, Benicio Del Toro
• Release Year: 1996
• Country: US
• Run Time: 98 minutes
• MPAA Rating: R

Plot

Cult figure Abel Ferrara directed this dark, emotional tale of life among the criminal underworld, set in the late 1930s. The Tempio Brothers -- Ray (Christopher Walken), Chez (Chris Penn), and Johnny (Vincent Gallo) -- work with the mob; Ray is the cool and methodical type, Chez is an angry man who tends to fly off the handle, and Johnny is the odd man out, whose work with labor unions has given him a strong interest in socialism. When Johnny is murdered by rival mobster Gaspare (Benicio del Toro), it has a profound effect on his brothers. Ray is determined to seek revenge, even though his wife Jeanette (Anabella Sciorra), realizing a reprisal will only lead to more violence, begs him to reconsider, while Chez begins losing his tenuous grip on reality, causing no small discomfort for his wife Clara (Isabella Rossellini). In time, both brothers are forced to deal with the ugly repercussions of their family's long-standing criminal lifestyle. Chris Penn's performance as Chez earned him the "Best Actor" trophy at the 1996 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Review

The Funeral feels like The Godfather directed by Ingmar Bergman. Christopher Walken's haunted eyes serve him well in the role of Ray, a Michael Corleone-like gangster who is in turmoil when he begins to realize that he is compelled to act in ways that undermine his own life. Chris Penn is frightening as the boorish, but charming Sonny Corleone-ish brother who slowly succumbs to violent psychosis. These two characters let Ferrara work out his philosophical musings as they grieve over the slain body of their younger brother Johnny, a Fredo-like figure who was not cut out for gangster life. Ferrara had balanced physical and emotional violence with philosophical angst before in Bad Lieutenant, Dangerous Game, and The Addiction, but this film is the most cerebral of the bunch. A truly sad movie, The Funeral will leave the viewer emotionally devastated. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Cast

• Christopher Walken - Ray
• Chris Penn - Chez
• Vincent Gallo - Johnny
• Isabella Rossellini - Clara
• Annabella Sciorra - Jeannette
• Benicio Del Toro - Gaspare

Paul Hipp - Ghouly; Gretchen Mol - Helen; John Ventimiglia - Sali; John Hoyt

Credit

Annabella Sciorra - Associate Producer; Joe Delia - Composer (Music Score); Joe Delia - Songwriter; Abel Ferrara - Director; Mary E. Kane - Producer; Ken Kelsch - Cinematographer; Charles Lagola - Production Designer; Bill Pankow - Editor; Nicholas St. John - Screenwriter; Randy Sabusawa - Co-producer; Russell Simmons - Associate Producer; Billy Hopkins - Casting; Beth Curtis - Art Director; Rosa Howell-Thornhill - Sound/Sound Designer; Mayin Lo - Editor; Ann Goulder - Casting; Mindy Eshelman - Costume Designer; Noga Isackson - First Assistant Director; Diane Lederman - Set Designer; Patrick Panzarella - Executive Producer; Jay Cannold - Associate Producer; Michael Chambers - Executive Producer

Similar Movies

The Godfather; GoodFellas; King of New York; The Last Don; Orphans

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

funeral	baby funeral
Funeral Flower	poems for a funeral