Giovanni Manzoni used to be a senior figure in the US Mafia. After falling out with Don Lucchese and becoming a target for assassination, however, Manzoni turned state's evidence in exchange for FBI witness protection for himself, his wife, and his two children.
Although Lucchese was sent to prison on the basis of Manzoni's testimony, he still has plenty of operatives and allies at large. The Manzoni family has been forced to move several times to stay ahead of assassins, and their latest move sees them settling into a small town in Normandy, in the north of France.
Normandy is a lovely place, but the Manzonis - or the Blakes, as they are currently calling themselves - aren't exactly thrilled to be there. They're also not the kind of people to blend in quietly, which goes some way to explaining why they have had to relocate several times already. It's not too long before a local grocery store has exploded and the Manzoni kids are cementing themselves at the top of the delinquent food chain at the local high school.
It seems only a matter of time before they do something that alerts Don Lucchese to their location, once more.
The Family is a pretty entertaining black comedy directed and co-written by Luc Besson. It is certainly helped a lot by its stellar cast: Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tommy Lee Jones are all big stars for a reason, and deliver their usual solid work, while Dianna Agron and John D'Leo are good value as the younger Manzonis.
The fine performances and relatively breezy script make for an easy watch, provided you can accept the basic amorality of the primary characters. There's definitely a vibe of 'violence is the best way to solve problems' though, which is something of a problematic factor, and - however much the Manzonis might genuinely care for each other - don't go into this expecting to see any kind of redemption arc. They might be in witness protection now, but they all remain mobsters at heart.
On which subject, I did appreciate that the film is very explicit that the only reason the FBI cares if Gio Manzoni lives or dies is that his survival encourages other mobsters to turn state's evidence when their own backs are against the wall.
Really, my only significant complaint about the film is that I am not a fan of the arc for the Manzoni daughter. While it can be argued that it accurately depicts the power imbalance between her and her older lover, it does so by taking away her agency and ignoring the fact that in every other part of the film she's just as tough as anyone else. I'd have preferred to see some kind of comeuppance for the lover.
Overall though, a decent way to spend a couple of hours.
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