Rent The Family (2013)
3.0 of 5 from 546 ratings
1h 47min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- A mafia boss and his family are relocated to a sleepy town in France under the Witness Protection Program after breaking the sacred code and snitching on his crew. However, despite Agent Stansfield's (Tommy Lee Jones) best efforts to keep them in line, Fred Blake (Robert De Niro), his wife Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and their children can't help but resort to old habits by handling all their problems the "family" way. But the Mob doesn't forget and, as his old crew closes in on their location, chaos ensues and old scores are settled as Fred is caught in the middle of a life-or-death showdown between his two families.
- Actors:
- Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianna Agron, John D'Leo, Tommy Lee Jones, Jimmy Palumbo, Domenick Lombardozzi, Stan Carp, Vincent Pastore, Jon Freda, Michael J. Panichelli Jr., Paul Borghese, Anthony Desio, Ted Arcidi, David Belle, Raymond Franza, Barbara Bolotner, Jan Hammenecker, Paulette Frantz, Claudine Acs
- Directors:
- Luc Besson
- Producers:
- Luc Besson, Ryan Kavanaugh, Virginie Silla
- Writers:
- Luc Besson, Michael Caleo
- Aka:
- Malavita
- Studio:
- Momentum Pictures
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Comedy, Thrillers
- Collections:
- 2014, CinemaParadiso.co.uk Through Time, Getting to Know Michelle Pfeiffer, The Instant Expert's Guide, The Instant Expert's Guide to Martin Scorsese
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 31/03/2014
- Run Time:
- 111 minutes
- Languages:
- English DTS 2.0, English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.35:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Making 'The Family'
- The Many Meanings Of Fu
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Reviews (8) of The Family
Redundant family visit - The Family review by PC
It is not unusual to see Robert De Nero tarnishing a once spotless CV but the fact that this also involves Michelle Pfeiffer and Luc Besson is more surprising. The main problem is that it cannot decide whether it is an action movie or a comedy, as a result the violence seems out of place with the tone of the movie. You feel very little empathy for any of the characters, including Tommy Lee Jones bog-standard cop and I just hope Luc Besson returns to form after classics like Nikita & Leon.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.
Not as good as I hoped - The Family review by CP Customer
A little disappointed with this expected more from the line up of stars. Film can't decide if it's a comedy or not.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.
Rubbish - The Family review by JD
You are assumed to find everything that de Nero and Pfeiffer and indeed all Americans do, as forgivable and even to find acts of brutality as amusing and heroic. No work is put into building up the characters into being believable and attractive. So that when these brash Americans move into a small French village it is not forgivable to set fire to the local supermarket because they are bitchy, it is not forgivable to beat the plumber nearly to death for overcharging and it is an overreaction for a girl to attack a boy with a tennis racquet until he is severely maimed for making a pass at her. It is clumsy and unpleasant. I started looking at my watch after 10 minutes. There is no redeeming feature in this pile of rubbish.
0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.
Critic review
The Family (aka Malavita) review by Alyse Garner - Cinema Paradiso
A long awaited action-comedy from the man behind the Fifth Element and Leon the Family is a bit of a diamond in the rough compared to its elder siblings; yet the latest offering from Luc Besson has moments of ingenuity and sparkle that are notable in their own right.
Having said that however Besson owes a great deal to another great film maker, with many scenes beautifully inspired by the gangster movies of one Martin Scorsese.
With a number of big names behind it, including Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer and Tommy Lee Jones the Family immediately has quite a lot going for it; couple that with it’s tongue in cheek story and the same over the top violence and horror so unashamed it is almost glorious present in Leon and La Femme Nikita it would take quite a lot of work to screw up this movie.
The narrative follows a notorious mafia family, the Manzoni’s, who are moved to the French Rivera when the join the witness protection programme. With patriarch Giovanni (De Niro) at the head as and old fashioned wise guy the family, now named the Blakes, relocate to Europe but struggle to get a handle on their old mob habits.
Though it isn’t a work of genius, there is something fun and sparky about the Family, thanks largely to an excellent performance from Pfeiffer as De Niro’s wife Maggie she can’t help but steal the show; not only is she the heart of the family but her character is often the one from whom the laughs and warmth of the film unwinds. Otherwise the film is somewhat sporadic and haphazard, the narrative meanders somewhat, not really going any in particular, but giving the audience a fun ride as they take the journey.