The Burial Society (2002)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Nicholas Racz

Writer:

Nicholas Racz (writer)

Release Date:

28 May 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Plot:

In The Burial Society, Sheldon Kasner, an unlikely criminal who works as a bank loan manager, infiltrates...

Plot Keywords:

Black Comedy | Jewish Culture | Body In Trunk | Faked Death | Secret Society

Awards:

7 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Rob LaBelle	...	Sheldon Kasner
Jan Rubes	...	Marvin Telekunsky
Allan Rich	...	Hy Leibowicz
Bill Meilen	...	Harry Epstein
David Paymer	...	Morry Zimmer
Seymour Cassel	...	Sam Goldberg
Jeff Seymour	...	Jake Lightman
Bill Mondy	...	Stuart Lightman
Linden Banks	...	Rabbi Fernstein
Nathaniel DeVeaux	...	Lyle Devine
Betty Linde	...	Mrs. Graunbaum
Nick Misura	...	Real building manager
Dagmar Midcap	...	News Reporter #1
Mitra Loraz	...	News Reporter #2 (as Mitra Lohrasb)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sashi Bommakanty	...	Arab
Elaine Kliner	...	Extra
Werner Thomas	...	The Husband
Arthur Wolak	...	Extra

Also Known As:

Mis en boîte (Canada: French title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Dumont Dunes, San Bernardino County, California, USA

Company:

Astral Films

Life Lessons from the Land of the Dead

I guess this film is not well known because it isn't easy to categorize and it defies the conventions of any genre. If you don't consider that a bad thing - which is to say, if you actually like movies that challenge convention and make one uncomfortable, this is A material. The film is a VERY dark comedy, very clever, very squeamish (unless you enjoy hanging out in mortuaries), and quite frankly, different from most everything else out there in movie rental land. I also found it refreshing to see elderly people who were not dotty, and morality tales intertwined within thriller twists. The film does share some qualities of the good films that the Coen Brothers used to make, but it seems to be less interested in playing into genre expectations. Rob LaBelle does a fine job of letting us inside his head, and the supporting cast are all glorious. The movie is only slow if you crave the MTV-Hollywood glossy glucose fix of adrenaline. Slow movies often provide a rich, rewarding experience, and this movie is no exception to that rule. A definite gem!