The Family

Writer/Director Luc Besson’s The Family, is a good action/thriller with a cast, including Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer (who gets better with age), Dianna Agron, John D’Leo and the best of the Italian bad guy players, all in top form.

DeNiro plays former Mafioso capo Giovanni Manzoni, in witness protection with his family for informing on his former associates, who, in turn, have put up a $20 million bounty for his death.   

Currently hiding out in France, the authorities have been forced to keep moving the family around because each member gets violent with anyone he or she feels disrespects them.   This makes for some macabre humor, as well as, a few somewhat ghastly scenes.

 

The Co-Writers Michael Caleo and Tonino Benacquista have crafted, with Besson, an interesting story with plenty of action and Cinematographer Thierry Arbogast always has the camera in the right place to capture the essence of the Normandy country life.

The only problem is that Editor Julien Rey often slows the pace of the film, which could easily be trimmed by as much as 5 to 10 minutes.  This is surprising given Besson’s other successful action films like The Fifth Element, Léon: The Professional and Taken 2.  

 

Still, I give The Family a 4 out of 5.