A Private Function
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Actor: Denholm Elliott, Maggie Smith, Michael Palin, Richard Griffiths, Tony HaygarthBrand: Metro Goldwyn Mayer
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 93 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-04-01
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
DVD Reviews of A Private Function
DVD Review: An Austere And Dignified British Classic--Oh, Who Am I Kidding? It's a Pig Comedy!
Summary: 4 Stars
When the incredible Maggie Smith shares top billing in a film with a pig, it is simply too delicious to resist. That is much the way I feel about 1984's "A Private Function." This delightful British comedy didn't get a lot of attention upon its release and is still relatively unknown stateside, but those that appreciate a droll skewering of class politics will be enchanted by this rude, yet smart, film. "A Private Function" won three British Academy Awards (BAFTAs) for Best Actress Maggie Smith, Best Supporting Actress Liz Smith, and Best Supporting Actor Denholm Elliott in addition to being nominated for Best Film and Best Screenplay. Headlined by Michael Palin, "A Private Function" is more akin to a classic Ealing Studio's comic caper than to contemporary Python. Bizarre and uniquely British in tone and temperament, I hope a new DVD release will raise awareness of this quiet gem. And there's a pig in it!
Set in a small town in post-war 1947 Britain, "A Private Function" introduces a world were deprivation and rationing are still every day occurrences. When the local town bigwigs want to impress for an impending Royal wedding, they set aside a pig for slaughter. It's all rather hush hush, though, as the very act they intend to commit violates the law. When Palin, as the put upon husband of Dame Maggie, is pushed too far by his socially carnivorous wife--he abducts the prize porker. Mayhem ensues as the town falls to pieces and Palin and Smith desperately try to hide their porcine concubine from prying eyes. There are plenty of gags, many at the expense of Smith's daft mother Liz Smith, who fears senility from all the strange new odors at home. Of course things work out--but not in the way anyone was expecting.
A great blend of physical humor and intellect, if you love British comedy--you'll undoubtedly love "A Private Function." Maggie Smith is an absolutely hilarious snoot, and many of the supporting roles are fleshed out by recognizable faces. (Recently deceased Pete Posthlewaite plays a town butcher.) Everyone gives such robust performances, however, it is surprising to find Michael Palin as the straight man. The quiet within the hilarity, it's not the role you'd expect such a rich comedic actor to inhabit. So, have a good time. Sit down with a big bowl of pork rinds and enjoy the wicked and wonderful "A Private Function." KGHarris, 1/11.
Description of A Private Function
Michael Palin (A Fish Called Wanda) teams with OscarĀ(r) winner* Maggie Smith (Gosford Park) in this uproarious comedy in which 'the laughs come fast (Variety) and the upper class becomes furious! Co-starring Denholm Elliott, Pete Postlethwaite and one divine swine, this hilarious comedy is alive and unruly, [and] the humor keeps boiling up (Pauline Kael, The New Yorker)! Life isn't easy in 1947 Yorkshire, where strict post-war rationing is putting the squeeze on the townspeople. But when a married working-class couple (Palin and Smith) discovers that the town's wealthy elite has been secretly fattening up an illegal pig for their own selfish gluttony, they hatch an outlandish kidnapping scheme that gives new meaning to the phrase bringing home the bacon ! *1969: Actress, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie; 1978: Supporting Actress, California SuiteBestsellers in DVD
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