

Likewise, Pfeiffer being insulted by the staff and clientele of a local grocery store simply for being American, leading to her actually blowing up the store, is the definition of black comedy. The sequence in which De Niro beats a shady plumber within an inch of his life then takes him to the hospital, where he tries to causally explain the man’s condition to the doctor while he whimpers in the background, is priceless. In spite of some upfront brutality that accompanies the action sequences, there is some potent comedy at work in The Family, and it’s more than a credit to Besson how he is able to make both work. Despite being under the watchful eye of their handler Agent Stansfield (Tommy Lee Jones), laying low soon becomes impossible as their old family ways begin to show themselves, culminating in a showdown with the very individuals they’re hiding from. With wife Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and kids Belle (Dianna Agron) and Warren (John D’Leo), the newly-christened “Blake” family, find themselves transplanted to Normandy, France.


The Family, based on a novel by author Tonino Benaquista, tells the story of an American family with mob connections who are forced into the witness protection program after dad Giovanni Manzoni (Robert De Niro) turned state’s evidence on his mobster friends. It therefore came as little surprise to anyone when Besson chose to write and direct the dark mob comedy The Family. From the raw La Femme Nikita, to the game-changing The Fifth Element, Besson has carved out one of the most uncategorizable careers in the film world. This is especially true in the wildly eclectic films he directs.
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Its with mind-boggling wonder then, why writer/producer Luc Besson (unquestionably one of the few helmers working who knows how to make an action movie) chose to write and produce The Transporter Refueled, a reworking of his own story.Īnd yet, any cinephile familiar with Besson’s work knows that there is almost no rhyme or reason to his projects, most of which are seeped in breathtaking action. Was there ever ANY need to try and a put a new old spin on The Transporter franchise? Anyone going to the movies this day would say no and they’d be right. Above all, this is a place to revisit and/or discover forgotten cinematic gems of all kinds. Oftentimes, titles will consist of little-known or underappreciated work from the same actor/writer/director/producer of said new release, while at other times, the selection for the week just happens to touch upon the same subject in a unique way. Box Office Alternative is a weekly look into additional/optional choices to the big-budget spectacle opening up at your local movie theater every Friday.
