Review #944 - Family, The (2013)
THE SCOOP
Director: Luc Besson
Cast: Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tommy Lee Jones Dianna Agron, John D'Leo
Plot: The Manzoni family, a notorious mafia clan, is relocated to Normandy, France under the witness protection program, where fitting in soon becomes challenging as their old habits die hard.
Genre: Action / Comedy / Crime
Awards: -
Runtime: 111min
Rating: M18 for violence, language and brief sexuality.
IN RETROSPECT (Spoilers: NO)
Luc Besson is a hit-or-miss
filmmaker. He has hit the bullseye once,
most convincingly in Leon: The Professional
(1994), still his most accomplished work to date. He has also gone on to make pictures like The Fifth Element (1997) and The Lady (2011), showing his versatility in
tackling different genres and material, but he seems to have a penchant for
making wacky, unserious fare that don't quite sit well with critics.
He does just that in The Family, also known as Malavita in some countries, or We Are a Nice Normal Family here in Singapore. It is a comedic take on organized crime and
the genre of the gangster movie, but while it provides some interesting
moments, it remains a flat and uninspiring effort.
One of the these moments sees Robert De
Niro's Fred Blake engaging in a dialogue with French audiences after the
screening of Scorsese's Goodfellas (1990), a meta-filmic instance that sees The Family rising up into something more
than just generic parodic fare. It is no
coincidence that Scorsese is also the executive producer of Besson's film.
Oblivious to the audience, Fred is a
wanted mobster himself, hiding under FBI witness protection in a quiet French
town with his family – wife (Michelle Pfeiffer), daughter
(Dianna Agron) and son (John D’Leo),
all of whom show shockingly violent tendencies in the movie. It is sometimes funny to watch the brutality,
and that is the intention of Besson, who doesn't shy away from depicting the
stereotypical gangster (family).
Even with De Niro and Pfeiffer on
board, The Family doesn't quite
engage as it should. There are long,
dreary stretches with dialogue that is as dull as it gets, in particular scenes
involving De Niro and Tommy Lee Jones (who plays an FBI agent), two veteran
actors who can make even the most uninspired script work. But not this time.
Besson's film becomes better in the
final act though, featuring an action showdown that gives it a much-needed jolt
of energy. The handling of tone remains
weak as Besson's comedic stamp somehow doesn't gel with the drama. Yes, it is a comedy-drama, but it doesn't
even feel satisfactory, let alone satisfying.
A disappointment at best, though it might just intrigue the casual,
bored moviegoer.
GRADE: C
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