The Family
2013 · Directed by Luc Besson
Original language: English
- crime
- comedy
- action
The story
After ratting out his Mafia cohorts, Giovanni Manzoni and his family enter the Witness Protection Program and relocate to a sleepy town in France. Despite the best efforts of their handler to keep them in line, Giovanni (now called Fred Blake), his wife and children can't help but resort to doing things the "family" way. However, their dependence on such old habits places everyone in danger from vengeful mobsters.
What it’s like
Bright, sun-washed Normandy daylight and a sleepy French town of cream stone houses, cobbled lanes and bakery awnings give The Family a warm, slightly cartoonish sheen, with crisp digital colour and busy, snappy cutting that turns even quiet scenes into bursts of mischief. The score is bouncy and jaunty, leaning on pop-rock and playful strings, so the mood feels like a caper with a grin rather than a tense thriller. Its vibe is brisk, mischievous and sardonic, the kind of thing to put on for a lazy weekend afternoon or a comfort watch when you want chaos with a wink. Pacing is quick and episodic, with comic set pieces spiking into sudden, often brutal violence: a few shootings and beatings land hard and some scenes are sadistic, with gunfire, bloodshed and dark humour around casual killing. The emotional register is tongue-in-cheek, and the family's arc follows a restless crew of old-world criminals learning, grudgingly, to live with each other in a new country. Not gentle, and the violence is brief but sharp. Made for people who enjoy irreverent mob comedy, culture-clash humour and De Niro and Pfeiffer playing against type.
More films like The Family
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved The Familyand we’ll explain which ones fit you.
