The Family

A Family Film About The Mob

Director: Luc Besson

Release Date: 2013

Rating: 15

Running Time: 111 mins

Genre: Comedy / Gangster / Action

Actors: Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tommy Lee Jones

'Al Capone always said, asking a man politely holding a gun is always better than just asking a man politely.'

Robert De Niro returns once again to our screens in this fresh and  modernized gangster movie with a twist, produced by the ever incredible Martin Scorsese. Though 'The Family' was not directed by Marty, the films got his trademarks all over them. From the Mafia culture, violence, way of settling 'business' and love for pasta, to the characters sitting down to watch a screening of the 90's gangster classic 'Goodfellas' directed by Scorsese, the films wrapped up and riddled with 'Scorsese stamps' that can be smelt from a mile away.

Thrown into the witness protection programme after things back home in Brooklyn go horribly wrong, Giovanni Manzoni and his family are sent into hiding in a quiet little rustic village in Normandy, France where nothing could ever possibly go wrong, enter the Manzoni family. With tongue and cheek violence throughout, the film combines aspects of the Italian-American gangster lifestyle and very dark comedy to form this very interesting and altogether entertaining film.

The acting in this film cannot really go uncredited as it's fantastic start to finish from all the cast. De Niro's performance doesn't need any defending as he is able to, as usual, deliver a knock-out performance as yet again another gangster we can't help but want to love. It has to be said it's nice for people of my generation to have a chance seeing De Niro on the big screen in a gangster movie after such a long time, cheers Bobby, you never fail to disappoint. One particularly brilliant scene that stands out is between Robert De Niro and FBI Agent Tommy Lee Jones and despite not being that long, it felt similar to 'Heat' with Robert De Niro and Al Paccino when they came face to face. It does have to be noted that despite playing a gangster, De Niro was playing a father as well, which at his age of seventy, he wasn't actually that bad and pulled off a believable role of being in the midst of fathering two teenagers.

It's got to be said as well the Michelle Pfeiffer pulled off a very believable Mafia wife and she managed to get involved in her share of violence and adopt the gangster way of life. The children in the film were also great to watch, the daughter, played by Dianne Agron took on a role ten years younger than her actual age of twenty-seven  but nevertheless gave a believable performance as part of this overly violent family, she's come along way from her character in Glee. Despite not really seeing the son in anything else I reckon John D'Leo has got a lot of potential as he too was unfaultable in the film, playing a character much more mature and capable than we first see at the start.

I found the film could've perhaps been better if it was able to maybe answer a few more questions at the end rather than resolve it in the way that was chosen. In typical Scorsese fashion, the film probably could've gone on for a bit longer and used that time to give a bit more of an explanation as the climax and ending did feel slightly rushed. What's more it would've been good to see more of a father/son relationship like there was a mother/daughter relationship, after all the film is called 'The Family'. But none the less, it is altogether a very enjoyable film and is one that is able to invite a bigger variety of audience into the gangster genre of film. I hope this isn't De Niro and Scorsese's last collaborations I know the two of them still have much more to give.

6/10