DEAL OF A LIFETIME | Omeleto

A man bargains with a funeral home.


DEAL OF A LIFETIME is used with permission from Lev Pakman. Learn more at https://levpakman.com.


Roland is shopping for burials, hoping to ease the costs of his parents' future funerals. He's a dutiful son, and he's also cash-strapped, thrifty and anxious, fearful of his mother and father's demise and doubtful of his ability to pay for it all.

When he visits a funeral home, he attempts to negotiate a "buy one, get one free" deal for his parents. But the negotiations are fraught, barrelling Roland to a confrontation with his fears and perceived inadequacies.

Directed and written by Lev Pakman, this short dramedy is a darkly funny family narrative, as a loving but financially stressed son plans for the future funeral of his parents. Like nearly everything else, funeral costs are on the rise, and Roland wants to make sure that his final arrangements for his mother and father are respectful. Always on the lookout for a deal or a coupon to use, he goes about this the only way he knows how, only to discover that the funeral industry is a little different from the other businesses he's bargained with.

The film has a weathered yet somber look, with warm but muted colors and often static, deadpan framings, all of which emphasize the strange absurdity of Roland's odyssey. As Roland tries to find the best burial package, he's confronted with salesmen selling "serenity packages," in exchanges captured in sharp, often ironic dialogue, which have an ear for both the euphemistic crassness of shopping for coffins and the nuances of Roland's character.

Roland is indignant at the high, elitist costs of funerals and their lack of flexibility when it comes to the financial realities of their customers. The inability to find a good deal for his parents' funeral weighs on Roland, who is then propelled, with the help of his savvy son, into the world of DIY caskets and funerals. It allays his fears of being taken advantage of by "merchants of grief," but he's still left with a sense of uneasiness at his parents' prospective deaths.

The film is anchored by a performance by actor and comedian David Cross, known for his comedic roles, especially for his near-iconic performance of Tobias in ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT. Those expecting that character's quirky, clown-like antics, though, will be surprised at Cross's grounded and sincere portrayal of Roland. He's still funny, but the humor comes more from the wry ironies of the situation and his character's dogged commitment to his objective. He always operates from a place of love and devotion to his parents -- a love that causes him to worry that no matter what he does, he will still fall short when it comes to his final respects.

It takes an open conversation with his parents to finally relieve Roland of his fears, giving DEAL OF A LIFETIME a warmhearted ending and a reassurance that familial love can be expressed not just in how much money we lavish on things like weddings and funerals, but in how true we stay to cherished shared values. Set in a world where end-of-life costs have been on the rise, it's an affecting ending to a narrative with a gentle but sly sense of satire, perhaps encouraging us to have more open conversations with our loved ones around difficult, delicate topics -- and to critically grapple with the knot of money, family, love and capitalism ourselves.