Staff Writer
I was lucky enough to get to see an early screening of dark action comedy, The Family, tonight and let me tell you I was not disappointed. I will tell you up front I’m a huge Dianna Agron fan, but when I first heard she was doing this movie I wasn’t sure what to expect. Sure it’s got a great cast (Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Tommy Lee Jones), but there have been plenty of movies with a great cast that have turned out to be flops. However, this movie was certainly no flop.
As I want people to see the movie for themselves I won’t give too much away on the plot. Basically, the film follows the Blake family who are under FBI watch in the witness protection program due to the father snitching on the mob years ago. Having found themselves in hot water, they are forced to move yet again and they end up in Normandy where they are supposed to keep a low profile, but for this family, it probably isn’t possible. The past catches up to them, which leads to an epic showdown in the end.
To sum up the Blake family in two words I would have to call them “completely insane”, but I don’t mean that in a bad way. I loved how insane they acted from Belle (Dianna Agron) beating up a guy that tried to hit on her with a tennis racquet to the mother, Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer) blowing up a grocery story because the workers were insulting Americans behind her back. Most people don’t usually react so violently to people angering them but with this mob movie it works.
The movie had its plot holes and missteps but what kept me interested was the actors’ portrayals of their individual characters and how great the chemistry between the actors was. If you didn’t know they were actors you would truly believe that they were a real family. John D’Leo and Agron’s on-screen relationship as brother and sister was truly one of my favorite relationships of the movie. When the two were in a scene together they really stole the movie. It was nice to see a pair of up and coming actors hold their own against true legends of the acting world.
I’d never heard of D’Leo before this film but after seeing him, I won’t be forgetting his name any time soon. He could have easily fallen into the background as just a supporting actor but he made the most of the scenes that he was able to be in.
Most people will probably know Dianna Agron for her portrayal as Quinn Fabray in the hit FOX series Glee, but just to be clear Belle Blake is no Quinn Fabray. Belle is a very complex character that can make your heart break one moment and the next she’s making you fear for your life. To sum Belle up, she’s a badass hopeless romantic who is fiercely loyal to the people she cares about. If you’re a Dianna Agron fan like myself than you will not be disappointed seeing her in the film. She shows a whole new side to herself, with a depth in her acting that many have never seen in her before.
Two people that have no need to prove their acting chops are Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer. I loved their characters and their chemistry together and with the rest of the cast. De Niro at this point is a master at playing a mobster and this film just proves that. To be honest I feel like he was born to play the role of Fred Blake, same with Michelle Pfeiffer as Maggie. The scenes with Tommy Lee Jones and De Niro were great as well. I particularly loved their love/hate relationship with each other.
While the film had its slow moments in the middle, the rest of the movie totally makes up for it. It’s a dark violent action filled comedy that will make you laugh and then put you on the edge of my seat. If anyone is on the fence about seeing the movie I highly recommend you go see it! It’s a great mob movie that’s worth seeing in theatres.
4/5
from me but please check out the movie for yourself and let us know what you thought of it!!
The Family is in cinemas from today.
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