The Family (2013)

Summary

The Family is an action-comedy-crime film directed by Luc Besson and produced by Martin Scorsese. It centers on the Manzoni family, a notorious New York mafia boss and his wife and two children, who have entered the Witness Protection Program (WPP) after the patriarch, Giovanni Manzoni (Robert De Niro), testified against his criminal associates. Relocated to a quiet, seemingly idyllic town in Normandy, France, under the alias "The Blakes," the family attempts to blend in, overseen by the exasperated FBI Agent Robert Stansfield (Tommy Lee Jones). However, the Manzonis' deeply ingrained violent and manipulative habits prove impossible to shed, leading to escalating chaos and attracting the attention of the mafia hitmen they were trying to escape.

Plot

Former mob boss Giovanni Manzoni, now known as Fred Blake, is hiding out with his wife, Maggie (Michelle Pfeiffer), daughter Belle (Dianna Agron), and son Warren (John D'Leo) in the town of Cholong-sur-Avre, France. Their relocation is supervised by the stressed-out FBI Agent Stansfield, who must constantly manage the family's destructive tendencies.

Each member of the "Blake" family deals with their new life by resorting to old habits:

• Fred constantly tries to improve the local water quality and local services by violently "persuading" people, all while secretly writing his memoir, detailing his mob life.

• Maggie attempts to fit in but loses her temper when treated rudely by the locals, leading her to bomb a small grocery store.

• Belle is a romantic but highly skilled fighter who beats up classmates who try to harass her.

• Warren uses his mob contacts and organizational skills to set up a profitable, if shady, network at his school, becoming a powerful influence among the students.

The family's inability to integrate causes constant trouble. Eventually, a small, subtle clue in Fred's memoir—a reference to a distinct brand of typewriter ribbon—is traced by the mob. The local crew of hitmen arrives in France, determined to eliminate the snitch and his family.

The film culminates in a massive, chaotic gunfight when the mobsters track the family to their home. With the protection team overwhelmed, the entire Blake family—including Fred, Maggie, Belle, and Warren—must utilize their brutal street smarts and combat skills to fight off the assassins. Agent Stansfield and the FBI reinforcements eventually arrive to finish the fight, but not before the Manzonis prove their collective loyalty and resilience. The family is forced to pack up again for a new, immediate relocation, but they leave Cholong-sur-Avre closer than ever, recognizing that their unique, destructive bond is what keeps them together.

Cast

• Robert De Niro as Fred Blake / Giovanni Manzoni

• Michelle Pfeiffer as Maggie Blake / Livia Manzoni

• Dianna Agron as Belle Blake / Manzoni (Daughter)

• John D'Leo as Warren Blake / Manzoni (Son)

• Tommy Lee Jones as Agent Robert Stansfield (FBI Handler)

• Vincent Pastore as Fat Willy (Mob Boss)

Crew

• Director: Luc Besson

• Screenplay: Luc Besson and Michael Caleo (Based on the novel Malavita by Tonino Benacquista)

• Producers: Martin Scorsese, Ryan Kavanaugh, Luc Besson

• Music Composer: Evgueni Galperine, Sacha Galperine

• Cinematography: Thierry Arbogast

• Editor: Julien Rey

• Production Company: EuropaCorp

Release Info

• Release Year: 2013

• Release Date: September 13, 2013 (United States)

• Running Time: 111 minutes

• Language: English, French

• Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime