MovieChat Forums > The Family (2013) Discussion > not just bad: disturbingly bad

not just bad: disturbingly bad


What a bizarre movie. I did find myself laughing at times, but felt guilty for doing so, because the principals in the movie are so psychotic. We're supposed to root for them, but how can you root for people who think nothing of murder and destruction as the solution to everything? The movie creates this bizarre universe in which we're expected to sympathize with the family. They love each other, after all, so that should excuse everything, apparently. The acting is marvelous, but the idea is very ill-conceived.

Oh, yes, in this bizarre universe, everyone in Normandy speaks excellent English.

reply

Sounds like u thought it was more bizarre than bad..

reply

It's a black comedy. It's supposed to be bizarre and funny and dark. I enjoyed it a lot.

reply

Max, I did,too. A companion piece to We're the Millers (well, only that a four-member family with two teenage children, one of whom has blonde tresses, operates outsides of the law) despite the immense differences.:)

Sarah Silverman Is Magic

reply

I don't agree with the notion that black comedy is supposed to be bizarre.
No, black comedy is about subjects that are considered taboo and provoke discomfort and are being addressed in a way that it makes us laugh.

The Family failed to do this. It did not went over the top at all in either the violence or comedy. If you want to see how it should be done then watch Goodfellas.

The CB Association

http://chrichtonsworld.blogspot.com/

reply

Goodfellas was not a black comedy. What is wrong with you people? Jeez...

reply

Yes but you cannot deny that it has elements of black comedy within it (think the trunks scene and the farcical ending, and the actual comedy ending lol) but a better example of crime black comedy would be killer joe :D

“What we have here is a failure to communicate”, Captain

reply

[deleted]

Comedy - Humour = Black Comedy/Dark Humour!

Nope. It's just crap.

reply

When I think of quality films that are considered "bizarre and funny and dark", I think more along the lines of a film like Fargo or Pulp Fiction. This was heavy on bizarre and dark, with little-to-no funny. What I liked least was the lack of plot and that the characters were not very sympathetic/likable...so I just didn't care what happened to them. I was more disturbed to see neighbors and the FBI guys blown away.

reply

When it began, I thought it was going to be a fish-out-of-water comedy -- you know, people put in a setting where they are way out of their element. But what I wound up thinking was that a citizen of that Norman town should be able to step out of his door to see what the commotion is without being shot dead. Better that DeNiro and his family get killed than that they bring such devastation to this poor town. I am, by the way, 80 years old and have read and seen a lot of dark comedy ("Kid Sampson rained all over," remember).

reply

[deleted]

I really liked the movie TBH. The opening scenes show the Manzoni family as just a typical American family on vacation in a small french town. While they're trying to fit in, we get insights into their criminally prone behavior which starkly contrasts with their strong family values. Inside the house, everything is normal - the family have regular sit in dinners and there isn't any sort of family tension going on beside being hunted by criminals. Outside the house we see how deviant they can be, mum goes to church to only have scared the pastor away, dad uses his old skills to investigate the case of the brown water faucet (subsequently blowing up the local fertilizer plant with dynamite) and the son is corrupting the entire school.I guess the take home point is that even a crazy family like the one portrayed in this movie can experience everyday problems like we do - from the insensitive checkout clerk at the supermarket to the school bully or the corporate scum contaminating the watersupply. It's something we can relate to but not really condone in society.

reply

I liked it too. I thought it was ok. I liked the way the kids were suck bad asses. I loved the movie review night, I was thinking of the perfect movie for them to review and it happened. I loved that part. Maybe it's just me but I found alot of funny parts. Yes it was brutal but it was supposed to be. It's a gangster/comedy type movie. It wasn't meant to be serious at all. My fav movies are The Godfather and Goodfellas. This was not on the same level but it wasn't meant to be. I thought it was funny how much sh!t they kids and the wife could cause. You could clearly see how dysfunctional yet perfect for each other they all were. Far fetched but a fun movie to watch.

reply

Everything you said just give me envy to see it !

reply

I didn't think it was bad. It was far from great, but it wasn't like I wasted two hours of my life on it or anything. I'd give it a C, maybe C+.

reply

Just got back from seeing it tonight and I didn't care for it at all.

reply

I agree. I love black comedies and Luc Besson is one of my favorite directors, but this crosses the line with violence that is so over-the-top and psychotic. There are funny moments, however, the level of violence is so unnecessary and wrong for a supposed black comedy. Yes, there is little reason to root for these people as they can only solve their problems by destruction and carnage, there's little to like about them other than their loyalty to each other. I haven't read the book the script was based on so I have no idea if it had more character development or insight into their behavior.

Luc Besson really let me down with this one.

reply

I happened to walk through a room a couple of days ago where Katie Couric was on TV interviewing DeNiro and Michelle Pfeiffer. They were oh so charming. Cooing and oohing about working with each other. Their movie? It seemed like a no brainer - two brilliant actors? Being funny? Raising their teenagers? Comedy, shot on location in France? Sure thing.

Talk about totally deceptive marketing. The blood, the sadistic joy in the infliction of pain, the grisly close-ups, the threatened teen suicide, the bone breaking beatings? Not a date night movie. Not at all.

Left the theater feeling duped and without question misled by the slimy publicity machine and studio's marketing lies.

reply

So... you did not even bother checking the trailer? I did. The movie was exactly what I expected from the trailer. If you make up a completely random assumption about the movie, the studio's marketing has nothing to do with that.

reply

It is kind of funny that some people are somehow surprised that, gasp!, a Luc Besson movie is violent! Gasp! Shock! Oh my!

Some people shouldn't be allowed to chose what movie they go see. There should be a government program that recommends movies for them, because they're too dumb to do it themselves. I mean, what, are they flipping coins to figure out what to watch?

reply

looks odd. no doubt.


The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.

reply

Check it out nuts, it's a decent flick and I think the dark sense of humor meshes well with your IMDB personality...

"Alright let's get this bull sh!t over with..."
-Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm

reply

agree. it was ok. if you want the real thing, read massimo carlotto:
http://www.bostonbibliophile.com/2012/04/review-goodbye-kiss-by-massim o-carlotto.html


the 2nd book, the sequel in that series, 'at the end of a dull day', was the first book sequel i was counting down the days for in a long, long time. don't know if that's a good thing.




Aloha, Mr. Hand.

reply

I thought all the violence was done against the kind of people who truly deserve it. Let's take a look:

The brother beating up the bully. I see absolutely nothing wrong with this example. This one doesn't even need an explanation. The bully and his friends beat him up first.

Dianna beating up the guy who drove her somewhere else with his friends. This kind of sht happens to girls in real life. It would be great if guys like that were punished.

The plumber ripping off De Niro. You may say that he overreacted, but I think not. I absolutely HATE being ripped off in life. And it's happened to me a lot, and I'm sure others can relate. I wish people could just do business ethically, but that is not the case. De Niro punishing that man for what he did is just, in my eyes. If there were punishment for this in real life, people wouldn't be scamming others.

Michelle setting fire to the market. This is the one example where no one was hurt or killed. We can assume no one was hurt because no one mentioned anyone dying in the fire, just that the market burned down. So let's go by this assumption. The issue here is general racism and talking behind people's back. This is a flaw in human society in general. It is "minor" compared to the other things that happened, so I believe this is the reason why no one was really hurt in the story.

All the violent acts in this movie stemmed from victimization. This family was not a family of bullies. They are not "bad people" who mess with others without reason. When the brother calls his sister a "psycho" for beating up the girl in the bathroom, it's true - but at the same time, again, it was punishment for stealing from her. People should NOT steal. This is not a case where someone was stealing food for survival.

The movie may have been violent but I believe the violent was done in a way to show that the characters wanted to correct human behavior. It's only bizarre because it is basically fulfilling our own natural desires to bring justice to an unjust world. It's a fantasy.

reply

I totally agree with you and I liked the movie just fine. I also bet all the people they did the violence to don't go and do whatever caused the Blakes to snap off and beat them anymore. It sort of was like corporal punishment or if a parent spanks their children for misbehavior.

reply

[deleted]

Half the violence was 'comedic' and it wasn't overdone or really graphic at all.

While I thought this movie was so-so...I didn't find it to be especially violent at all. (Maybe there's something wrong with me??)

reply

[deleted]

I just got back from seeing this film and I loved it. It was dark, funny, subtly and overtly referenced. Sometimes life is really and truly violent and that's just it. I loved all the actors in it and enjoyed the story. I had hoped for a few wrap-up scenes at the end of the credits such as a comepuppance for the soon to be math teacher but oh well.

"Daddy! He's killed Steve and he's jamming the door with him!"

reply

I agree, completely. It's funny to me because the family members actually react the way we secretly want to react, if we're honest with ourselves. Then we repress it. I found it refreshingly hilarious and cathartic. More Greek tragedy than Hollywood bubblegum.

-aspieGirl
I'm sorry if you don't
like my honesty
But to be fair
I don't like your lies

reply

Sorry Freud, I don't secretly wish to beat people within an inch of thei lives for "interrupting me".

reply

The movie may have been violent but I believe the violent was done in a way to show that the characters wanted to correct human behavior.


if that's the case, then luc besson has some real issues.

reply

ok, so you think you have the right to judge others? you have no right to that just to let you know. what are you a fckin toddler?

"Anyone who claims to be a feminist instead of a humanist is a tap dancing monkey."

reply

I thought all the violence was done against the kind of people who truly deserve it.


Something is extremely wrong with you.

reply

oh well...it's nice to see michelle pfeiffer out and about

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006718/
in http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375754/

reply

Good God! If watching a movie with complex antiheroes or anti-villains like this one was TOO MUCH for you, I would not recommend Natural Born Killers. I don't really think it was that over the top violence, I mean, it's a MOVIE! Those people didn't really die, I hope you know that. This movie is not perfect and very off kilter, but honestly if you didn't see the dark humor for what it is than maybe just stay away from films like this?

reply

It has its good moments but its not that great. I expected more with the cast in this film.

reply

Exactly

reply