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

Indie Film Spotlight: "Emperor" - Starring Matthew Fox and Tommy Lee Jones

Previews for the recently released film Emperor may lead viewers to believe that Tommy Lee Jones is the star of the film, but he actually plays a supporting role, as General Douglas MacArthur. Matthew Fox assumes the lead role, as General Bonner Fellers, who is tasked by MacArthur with determining whether or not Emperor Hirohito was responsible for the decision to attack Pearl Harbor during World War II. Emperor is set in Japan shortly after the end of the war and MacArthur is leading the rebuilding efforts, as well as tying up loose ends for the U.S. government.

In addition to his investigation of Hirohito, Fellers attempts to learn the whereabouts of a woman, Aya (Eriko Hatsune), who he met in the United States and fell in love with when they were college students. Fellers uses his position to speed up the inquiry, which does not sit well with at least one of his fellow soldiers, whose jealousy gets the better of him. Meanwhile, Fellers experiences great frustration in his quest to learn the truth about Hirohito, but he understands how important character and loyalty are to the people of Japan, especially to high ranking officials who appear to be protecting their beloved Emperor.

Fellers and Aya's romance is told in flashbacks to when they first met and when he visited her family in Japan after her abrupt departure from the U.S. However, their relationship is not well established, so viewers may be apathetic to the outcome of that storyline. On the other hand, Fellers' often tense and sometimes dangerous meetings with Japanese officials are thoroughly interesting. Credit should be given to Matthew Fox for his conflicted and believable performance. Of course, Tommy Lee Jones delivers a solid, if familiar, turn as the legendary MacArthur, who appears to be equally grumpy as other characters Jones has perfected onscreen.

Emperor benefits from a swift pace, solid performances and is beautifully photographed. I was not only entertained during the film, but I felt like I learned something as well about the relationship between the U.S. and Japan, post WWII. However, the film is unable to sustain momentum throughout due to the mediocre execution of the romance between Aya and Fellers. 

Director: Peter Webber
Screenplay: Vera Blasi and David Klass 

Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" - Starring Daniel Day-Lewis

Photo Credit: Touchstone Pictures

A brilliant cast, a brilliant director and a brilliant president, perhaps the best ever, conspire to create one of the year's best films. Lincoln centers around the last four months of the life of the sixteenth president of the United States and is based on the novel Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Tony Kushner provides the screenplay, which focuses on Abraham Lincoln's attempt to abolish slavery and end the Civil War that divided the nation.

The soft spoken commander-in-chief is underestimated by some of his political rivals, but he is always the smartest guy in the room. Although the long and bloody Civil War has made him weary and tired, he is intent on ending slavery and the war through a series of political calculations and gambles. He is not afraid to do whatever is necessary to see that the 13th amendment to the constitution is passed. Lincoln relies on his powers of deduction while regaling those around him with stories that relay his point of view in a non-threatening way. His tales are not appreciated by everyone, but those who do listen are captivated by what he has to say and the power of his words. Indeed, Lincoln does not command respect as much as he earns it with his silver tongue.

Lincoln relies on the assistance of three men, William N. Bilboe (James Spader), Colonel Robert Latham (John Hawkes) and Richard Schell (Tim Blake Nelson), to twist the arms of the outgoing congressional Democrats to garner their support for passage of the amendment to abolish slavery. The trio utilize unorthodox methods while Lincoln works behind the scenes and even resorts to deception in order to accomplish his goals, which he firmly believes will save the divided country. Lincoln also has help from Republican leader and abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens (Tommy Lee Jones), who employs some interesting and effective methods of convincing fellow politicians to see things his way. Stevens is hard as nails while at work, but shows a surprisingly softer side at home. Of course, the outcome of the abolitionist movement and the Civil War is well known, but the struggles associated with them are endlessly fascinating to behold in this two and a half hour epic.

Daniel Day-Lewis is once again able to fully immerse himself into his character. He appears to be very comfortable in Lincoln's skin and is relaxed in his more verbose scenes, where he relays long stories that tie his ideas together in a coherent and convincing way. Day-Lewis should be given credit for making those extended dialogue heavy scenes look easy. Lincoln rarely appears angry and shies away from raising his voice to his fellow politicians, but the same cannot be said for him when dealing with his troubled private life, including his marriage to Mary Todd (Sally Field). Indeed, the emotions come pouring out during scenes where they discuss Mary's emotional problems, the death of one son and the potential danger of losing another son, Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who wants to be a soldier and fight for what he believes is right. Mary is a force to be reckoned with too and has no trouble speaking her mind to powerful political rivals who are not in step with her husband's wishes. They make for a fascinating and formidable duo, despite their personal issues. Lincoln appears distant with his son Robert, while he bestows much attention on his youngest child, Tad (Gulliver McGrath). I am not certain why the distance is there, but Robert is clearly not happy with his father and their troubles boil over at one point, adding to the President's already substantial number of problems.

Steven Spielberg clearly understands how to manage a large cast of talented actors and allow them each to shine by giving them something substantial to undertake. The supporting cast, led by the aforementioned Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones, deliver award worthy work. In addition, James Spader's Bilboe works tirelessly to get the votes necessary for passage of the 13th amendment and also provides some much needed comic relief, while David Strathairn's William Seward, one of Lincoln's closest allies, has no problem being brutally candid with his boss, which is something that Lincoln very much needs. Rounding out the superb cast are Hal Holbrook, John Hawkes (The Sessions), Lee Pace and Jackie Earle Haley.

In addition to the performances, the direction and the screenplay, Lincoln features outstanding costume design, art direction, make-up and expert use of lighting that helps to set the mood for any given scene. The extended run time and verbose nature of many scenes should not deter potential viewers from seeing Lincoln in theaters. The film is well paced, completely authentic and boasts some of the finest acting you will see this year. Overall, a fitting tribute to the legendary Abraham Lincoln.