'Dying is easy, Comedy is hard' - The struggle of Anna Faris and Toni Collette in The Estate
Anna Faris and Toni Collette's fortunes fade in Dean Craig's comedy, 'The Estate'. Despite a capable cast, the black humor doesn't quite land, making the comedy feel like hard work.
Updated : October 20, 2023 05:25 PM ISTAnna Faris and Toni Collette's fortunes fade in Dean Craig's comedy, 'The Estate'. Despite a capable cast, the black humor doesn't quite land, making the comedy feel like hard work.
The Estate Poster (Source: Rotten Tomatoes)
"Dying and Comedy Alike Feel Like Hard Work" - A Retrospective Review on Anna Faris and Toni Collette's 'The Estate'
It was in November 2022 when "Dying and comedy alike felt like hard work," according to a Variety review of the film 'The Estate'. This comedy about dying, featuring Anna Faris and Toni Collette, attempted a high-wire act that ended up falling flat, despite a promising premise and a star-studded cast.
The Cast and Premise that Promised More
The Estate was the brainchild of British screenwriter Dean Craig, known for his prior success with the black comedy "Death at a Funeral". The plot revolved around two hard-up chancers, played by Collette and Faris, scheming their way into a dying millionaire's inheritance. With this premise being as old as the hills, and a cast who knew their way around black humor, one could only anticipate a comedy of epic proportions.
Unfortunate Fizzle in the Comic Groove
However, it quickly became evident that 'The Estate' struggled to find a comic groove. One-liners landed like pebbles on wet sand, and even the later ventures into gross-out territory didn't rescue the film from its sluggish pace. As reported by Variety, it felt "less than the sum of its parts".
The Fleeting Moments of Comic Relief
Nevertheless, there were still flickers of hilarity in the performances. Toni Collette's queasily aghast face during an impromptu colostomy bag scene and the venomous contempt in Kathleen Turner's throaty line deliveries were two such highlights. The TV-oriented Anna Faris also made her way back to the big screen, despite the struggles with the strangely low-energy writing.
The Estate demonstrated that comedy can be as tricky as walking on a high-wire. Despite the promising premise and a cast brimming with talent, 'The Estate' served as a stark reminder that sometimes, "dying is easy while comedy is hard."
(Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.)