Review: The Family The story: After ratting on everyone in the New York Mafia, Fred/Giovanni (Robert De Niro) and his family are sent to Normandy in France under the witness protection program. Trying to start a new life is easier said than done, as they find it difficult to shake off their old life. Review: For me, this is a film shot ‘by numbers’. While it ticks all the boxes for a good crime/comedy/drama, I feel there was not much character development, and the story line was not particularly strong. The film is written and directed by Luc Besson, who has made some cracking films including Angel-A, Subway, The Fifth Element and Leon, where he asked De Niro if he wanted to play the lead role. De Niro turned it down, but they remained friends and decided to work together sometime in the future. There are some good things in the film. I thought the supporting characters (particularly the brother and sister) were portrayed well. We see them reflecting the traits of their parents. The sister, Belle, (played by Diana Agron, who some of you may have seen in Glee) has equally as bad a temper as her mother Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer), and the brother Warren (John D’Leo The Wrestler ) tries to get his own back at the new school after being picked on the by high school bully. Finally Tommy Lee Jones is Robert Stansfield, who has the task of overseeing the Blake family as they try to settle in France- a job which must seem more trouble than it is worth! I feel that in some ways The Family is almost like a gangster version of The Addams Family. There are some funny moments in the film, but, all-in-all, it is a bit predictable, especially as some of the best bits have already been shown in the trailer. Overall: There are some good things in the film, particularly the supporting cast, and the soundtrack is great. However it is let down by a so-so script. I am giving this 2.5/5. youtube/watch?v=nwZNypYmPFE
Posted on: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 22:38:34 +0000
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