(Luc
Besson/2013/France)
Robert De
Niro, a mafia boss, goes states witness against another boss getting
himself, wife Michelle Pfieffer and their kids relocated to rural
France under witness protection in the process. This is the set up
for hilarious escapades to follow but The Family has a weak script
that’s only carried somewhat by the lead performances and Bessons
ability to sustain cinematic energy. The characters are hard to be
sympathetic towards though and as adept as Besson is at unfurling a
narrative arc, the comedy on offer here falls a bit flat. Sub plots
go down cul de sacs, there’s continual shifting from cartoonish
parody to quite grisly violence and there’s a ham fisted
appropriation of De Niro’s past career in gangster films for a
cheap laugh. The Family amounts to a good director and cast working
with a poor script to produce an average comedy film.
(2/5)
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