Tuesday, 19 November 2013

Gerry Barnaby's Film Review: The Family

Genre:  Comedy Crime Thriller
 
Cert: 15 cert, I would say this is an 18 cert due to content of this film.
 
Parents advised to read before viewing film as some scene may contain scenes unsuitable for younger viewers.
 
Sex & Nudity: No nudity is shown but there is a brief sex scene between a teacher and student up against a classroom door.

Violence & Gore: The movie is a about a family that is somewhat gangsters.
There is flashforward and scenes involving realistic brutal violence that are not considered to be comical.
A woman steals from a grocery store and then blows it up.
A girl beats a guy with the tennis racket.


Profanity:  A lot of usings of F-word, but it's mostly considered to be said for comic effect.

Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking: few people seen drinking beer

Frightening/Intense Scenes:  Final shooting sequences are to be intense.
 
Story: A mafia boss and his family are relocated to a sleepy town in France under the witness protection program after snitching on the mob. Despite the best efforts of CIA Agent Stansfield (Tommy Lee Jones) to keep them in line, Fred Manzoni (Robert De Niro), his wife Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and their children Belle (Dianna Agron) and Warren (John D'Leo) can't help but revert to old habits and blow their cover by handling their problems the "family" way, enabling their former mafia cronies to track them down. Chaos ensues as old scores are settled in the unlikeliest of settings in this darkly funny film by Luc Besson (Taken, Transporter).               

Likes : The actors were all first rate and seemed to really enjoy their roles. However, they were undone by a plot that made very little sense. I often wonder if the writers ever watch the movie when it is finished, it dose have it moment but the storyline & plot is very flawed, it has its moment that your find funny but this film is one film your find you Iver like or hate, it not going to be for everyone.


Dislikes : as I said this film as a lot of flaws, Top off a shaky premise and poor writing, there is a lengthy reference to "Good fellas," as if to slap the audience in the face with the reminder that DeNiro once starred in some of the greatest mafia movies ever to be starring in a plot line of a mafia family with poor writing with no sub plot to understand what's going on other than the fact the family was move every 90 days.
The actor done a pretty good job but the sadly let down by the storyline. The plot seemed to promise a good black comedy but it mostly fell flat. you find yourself ignore the screen to what's going on as it dose get boring. Another problem is the script hyperactivity creates more than it can service.
The problem is you probably won't remember seeing The Family an hour after you leave the cinema, this film was OK but it was far from brilliant & over rated.

Overall : Promise to be a good black comedy but fall short of that depending on you taste of film's.
 
Rating:  3 out of 5 for entertainment / 4.3 out of 10 for storyline/concept

 
 

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