The Family by SHINYGOODGUY

CINEMA

The Family

POSTED BY: SHINYGOODGUY
UPDATED: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 04:14
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VIEWED: 2632
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Tuesday, September 24, 2013 4:14 AM

I'm not really sure where to begin. Well, first I was curious about seeing the treatment Luc Besson would give to an American mob tale, given that he wrote and directed the cult classic The Professional. He also gave us the classic sci-fi fantasy adventure The Fifth Element, so I thought "why not."

I was unsure because I heard it got mixed reviews, but there are times where I have gone against the grain and found a diamond in the rough (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective comes to mind). It had one of my all-time favorite actors in the lead role, Robert De Niro, and a pretty good actress named Michelle Pfeiffer playing his wife, and possibly the best eye candy in modern times, Dianna Agron, who's had a couple of films under her belt, but is mostly known for her role as Quinn Fabray in Glee.

The story revolves around a mob family - father, mother, sister, brother -
who are relocated under the witness protection program to Normandy, France and hilarity ensues. DeNiro plays a mobster who turns in states evidence against the mob and has been targeted by the his "family" to be whacked.
Transplanted from Brooklyn to points east and who, eventually wind up in France. A fish out of water story that we have seen before, but Besson serves up his usual flair for comedy with a slight twist. They try to fit in but their homicidal tendencies always seem to service, especially that of Papa Blake (DeNiro).

Besson peppers his story with DeNiro's antics and flawless comedic timing surrounding his mobster persona; he even manages to work in a Goodfellas mention. It is somewhat predictable, but somehow DeNiro's glee-filled performance shines through. He actually looked like he was having a ball playing his usual tough-guy mob role, a la Analyze This. There was enough dark comedy and mob-related humor that one would come to expect from a DeNiro vehicle. But I got the sense that something was amiss, something was a bit off. Maybe Besson's European comedy style didn't quite mesh with that of DeNiro's mobster persona. Hard to tell.

Tommy Lee Jones, who played the Federal agent in charge of DeNiro's relocation efforts, looked a little old and tired throughout, so his scenes with DeNiro were hit and miss. Michelle Pfeiffer was solid in her role as the dutiful mother and mobster's wife. Dianna Agron nearly stole this movie with her portrayal of the tough-as-nails, but vulnerable, teenaged daughter who went through some growing pains. But this movie belonged, wholeheartedly, to DeNiro. A grumpy, ill-tempered fake novelist, who tried desperately to behave himself for the sake of his family, but wound up using his powers of persuasion to procure a decent glass of drinking water.

The Family, you could say, is the kissing cousin of Analyze This with a French accent. It wasn't horrible, but entertaining. Some may say, I'll wait for the DVD.

SGG

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