New in Theaters: "The Family" Starring Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer

Hiding from the Mafia is no easy task. Even those in the Witness Protection Program, like the Blake family in the recently released film The Family, must always be wary of being located. Despite the best efforts of FBI Agent Stansfield (Tommy Lee Jones) and his team, the Blakes just cannot stay hidden. The patriarch, Giovanni Maznoni (Robert De Niro), has started a new career as a writer, but when he should be at home working, he creates a decoy so he can go into town and interact with the locals in their new home near Normandy, France. Matriarch Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer) does not take criticism well and decides to blow up a small grocery store after an employee makes rude remarks about Americans. Daughter Belle (Dianna Agron) falls in love with a college student/substitute math teacher and son Warren (John D'Leo) starts a mini-Mafia at his school after being brutalized during his first week. I suppose you can take The Family out of the Mafia, but you cannot take the Mafia out of The Family.

Maggie also confesses her sins to a priest, who orders her not to come back to the church, while Giovanni agrees to participate in a discussion about film criticism, which is fine until the subject matter changes from history to the mob. However egregious those errors in judgment are, mobsters looking for the family find them through a rather innocent mistake made by Warren, who is also feeling heat from school officials for his "mob" and decides to leave town, until he realizes that a team of hit men have arrived with orders to kill the entire Blake family. The walls are closing in on the Blakes but they know how to take care of themselves.

As you might expect, The Family is a violent film and a few early scenes take the brutality a bit too far. Thankfully, those scenes are the exception and not the rule. Over time, the violence becomes more amusing than disturbing, especially when viewers know what is coming. For instance, Giovanni hates to be disrespected and he will go to any length to "correct" the behavior of those who cross him. Robert De Niro plays irritation extremely well with his passive aggressive smile that always elicits laughter. Not to be outdone, Tommy Lee Jones' FBI agent also must find an outlet for his irritation, but he uses verbal barbs to express his displeasure, which is usually directed at Giovanni.

Overall, the performances are strong and I particularly enjoyed the chemistry between De Niro and Jones. I was also impressed with John D'Leo, who is a promising young actor and delivers a confident, self assured performance as Warren. Director and co-writer Luc Besson has crafted an entertaining, amusing and intelligent film that also features an eclectic use of music, from the old world sounds of Italy to the contemporary gem "The Greatest" by Cat Power. As much as I enjoyed The Family, it does take a while for the film to hit its stride and the final scenes are a bit far fetched, but those are small complaints in this otherwise solid effort.

Screenwriters: Tonino Benacquista, Luc Besson and Michael Caleo

Movie Recommendation: "Silver Linings Playbook" Starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence

Photo Credit: The Weinstein Company

Dealing with mental illness can be a real bitch. Just ask Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper), who is faced with completely rebuilding his life after almost killing a man who was having an affair with his wife, Nikki (Brea Bee), in the recently released film Silver Linings Playbook. Pat, who is bipolar, has spent the better part of a year in a psychiatric hospital and is now prepared to move back home with his parents, Pat Sr. (Robert De Niro) and Dolores (Jacki Weaver), but is under strict supervision and even has a police officer assigned to keep an eye on him. Pat also appears to be suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder, which causes him to fixate on Nikki, who he is forbidden from seeing, courtesy of a restraining order. Regardless, Pat is determined to reconnect with Nikki, who was "the one" for him, or at least he thought she was.

Pat's move home is not an easy one and before long it becomes clear that his obsessive compulsive disorder may have been inherited from his father, who has little rituals planned for each Philadelphia Eagles football game and relies on similar talisman to hedge lofty bets with a family "friend." While mental illness is not funny, the absurdity displayed by both Pat and Pat Sr. provides several laugh out loud moments throughout the film. Despite his problems, Pat is determined to find a silver lining in any situation, but his obsession with Nikki initially hampers his progress. However, after meeting Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a recently widowed young woman, Pat's life begins to change. After a rough start, they become running partners and develop a tentative friendship. Things really start to click for them when they make a deal - Tiffany will help Pat reconnect with Nikki if he will enter a dance competition with her.

Tiffany, like Pat, is also trying to rebuild her life after making several very bad decisions which resulted from the grief over losing her husband. She is sullen and brooding, but withholds judgement of others and does not fear confrontation. In fact, when confronted with false accusations, Tiffany stands up for herself and typically wins people over through the use of her logic and considerable intelligence. She is very likable and a good match for Pat. They are both outcasts who need each other to spark their much needed return to normalcy.

Pat gradually changes throughout the film, thanks mainly to Tiffany's support and friendship. Bradley Cooper transforms Pat from a disturbed young man to a relatively stable one in memorable, believable and completely effective performance. Viewers will root for Pat to get past his fixation on the woman who broke his heart and see Tiffany for the wonderful, if troubled, young woman that she has grown into. Jennifer Lawrence's strong-willed and sometimes heartbreaking performance is equally effective and she makes viewers care about Tiffany in a way they may not expect. Tiffany is still in recovery mode and she is reaching out for something that Pat may be able to give to her, if only he would stop thinking about Nikki. The performances from Cooper and Lawrence are award-worthy.

Director David O. Russell, who also wrote the screenplay, which is based on the novel, of the same name, by Matthew Quick, has crafted an emotional, amusing and extremely well acted film that will make viewers laugh and cry. While Tiffany and Pat drive the story, Pat Sr. takes a similar journey with them, but in his own way. They are all trying to become better people and the first step is understanding what problems they are facing and then take steps to deal with them. In Pat Sr.'s case, he does not seem to realize that he has a problem and appears baffled that his son is so troubled. They may not be one and the same, but they are darn close. Robert De Niro delivers some of his finest work as the loving, concerned and somewhat oblivious Pat Sr. The supporting cast includes strong turns from the aforementioned Jacki Weaver, as well as Chris Tucker, as Pat's friend Danny, who keeps finding ways to escape from the institution, and Anupam Kher, as Pat's psychiatrist, Dr. Patel, who fully embodies the role of therapist in their sessions together.

Silver Linings Playbook drew me in quickly to the quirky and troubled lives of Tiffany and Pat. I was not uncomfortable watching them, but I marveled at how nervous they made the other characters, who looked at them like they were from another planet. Of course, those who are not familiar with mental illness or have not suffered from disorders themselves, simply do not fully comprehend that Pat and Tiffany are just like everyone else, they just have different battles to face and problems to overcome. The performances by Cooper and Lawrence are so heartfelt that I felt inclined to jump onscreen and tell them that everyone would be OK. I can think of no greater compliment to pay either one of them.

DVD Round-Up: "Being Flynn" (2012) - Starring Robert De Niro and "The Dictator" (2012)

"Being Flynn" (2012)

The Basics: Based on the memoir, Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, by Nick Flynn, Being Flynn is an Indie drama centering around an estranged father and son, Jonathan and Nick Flynn, who are both writers trying to find their way in the world. After nearly two decades apart, they reunite in an unexpected way and get to know each other all over again, but their reconciliation is not an easy one.

Reasons to Watch: A mostly well acted film featuring solid performances from Robert De Niro and Paul Dano, as father and son, and a supporting turn by the always great Julianne Moore. I also appreciated writer/director Paul Weitz shining a light on the topics of addiction, homelessness and mental illness, which are three very serious problems facing our society today.

The Bottom Line: While the subject matter is interesting, the film lacks focus and cohesion. I think part of the problem is with the editing, which results in a series of short, almost pointless scenes. However, viewers who appreciate fine acting and have liberal sensibilities may be able to overlook the film's shortcomings.



The Dictator (2012)

 

The Basics: Comedy starring Sacha Baron Cohen as Admiral General Shabazz Aladeen, leader of the fictional African Republic of Wadiya, who is kidnapped during a trip to the United States. He is then abruptly replaced by a doppelganger who does the bidding of Aladeen's uncle Tamir (Ben Kingsley). Aladeen is able to escape from his captors and then struggles with returning to his throne while trying to deal with culture shock.

 

Reasons to Watch: Sacha Baron Cohen always manges to be controversial and The Dictator is no exception. There are some amusing moments, but the filmmakers try too hard at times to shock viewers, instead of simply entertaining them with clever satire.

 

The Bottom Line: Either watch with an open mind or skip this one entirely.