Robert De Niro's Mob Comedy Has a Few Killer Chuckles

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2013 SINGAPORE: Chinese actor Wang Leehom, left, and Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi address AMRITSAR: Indian Bollywood actress Aarti Chhabria (2nd R) and actor Harish the media during a press conference yesterday at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore Verma (4th L) greet fans at a cinema hall in Amritsar yesterday. The actors visit- ahead of the gala premiere of a Chinese-US romantic-comedy “My Lucky Star” directed ed the city to attend the premiere of their new film ‘Viyah 70KM’ directed by by Dennie Gordon and co-produced by Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi. — AP Mushtaq Pasha. — AFP ‘The Family’ Review Robert De Niro’s mob comedy has a few killer Chuckles t might at first seem lazy to cast Robert De Femme Nikita” and “The Fifth Element,” of hav- their place and Warren works the angles to do for dark comedy, Tommy Lee Jones is basically Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer in “The Family,” ing a light comic touch, but the mayhem in this favors, horn in on the local rackets and exact playing Tommy Lee Jones on vacation in France. Iabout a mobster, his wife and their kids hid- minor mob comedy, more often than not, brings revenge where necessary. He’s a fine actor, but he brings nothing to this ing out in witness protection in France. De Niro, the laughs. We’ve seen this story before, perhaps most by-the-book grump that we haven’t seen from after all, has played countless goodfellas over For Mafioso-turned-snitch Giovanni (De notably in “My Blue Heaven,” the comedic quasi- him before. the years, while Pfeiffer was herself married to Niro), currently known as Fred, federal protec- sequel to “Goodfellas,” but plopping these char- Besson and Caleo don’t always hit that sweet the mob in the film of the same name, not to tion from his former partners in crime means acters into a part of the world that’s already sus- spot of balancing bloodshed and bodily harm mention “Scarface.” constantly uprooting his family. As the film picious of Americans in general just makes their with one-liners and farcical set-ups, but they hit It all seems forgivable, however, since writer- begins, he’s just arrived in Normandy with wife adjustment to civilian life all the more entertain- more often than they miss. The director has director Luc Besson (who adapted Tonino Maggie (Pfeiffer), daughter Belle (Dianna Agron, ing; Fred’s battle with plumbers, plant owners wisely surrounded himself with a top-notch Benacquista’s novel “Malavita” with co-scenarist “Glee”) and son Warren (John D’Leo), with FBI and local politicians over why there’s brown crew; Besson’s regular cinematographer Thierry Michael Caleo) builds on the stunt casting until agent Stansfield (Tommy Lee Jones) never too water coming out of his kitchen faucet makes Arbogast gives Normandy a lush beauty by day it culminates in a colossal inside joke that no far away. Fred starts surreptitiously writing a tell- for a disarmingly amusing subplot, along with a but a sinister, chiaroscuro feel at night. doubt tickled both the actors and the film’s all memoir while his family gets acclimated in its few broken bones. “The Family” by no means redefines the mob executive producer, Martin Scorsese. usual way: Maggie blows up a grocery store While De Niro and Pfeiffer manage to find comedy, but it’s an amusing enough trifle to No one’s ever going to accuse Besson, the where she’s treated rudely, Belle violently puts some new notes in these very familiar charac- bridge the gap between summer excess and director of such over-the-top spectacles as “La handsy teen boys and pencil-case thieves in ters, and Agron and D’Leo both display a knack autumn’s headier pleasures. — Reuters ‘Contest’ picked up by Cartoon Network he low-budget movie “Contest” was and Raviv Ullman (“Phil of the Future”). president and chief operating officer of Alter co-produced with Martin Katz; conceived with the idea of reaching The cast and filmmakers kept a steady Cartoon Network. “This is a well-made, Ajay Giunta wrote the script and directed. Tteens and tweens with an anti-bully- stream of updates flowing during the engaging movie that lets us continue to Giunta initially tried to fund the project ing message, and the Cartoon Network months that they were shooting, doing spread the message that bullying can be on KickStarter in 2011. It came up short, was looking to expand its “Stop Bullying: post-production and marketing the movie. addressed effectively when someone has but the movie caught the eye of Alter. It Speak Up” campaign. So it was a perfect As of Thursday, the “Contest” Facebook the courage to speak up.” was after the film was shooting that Alter - match. page had more than 320,000 “likes.” This is the third year for the network’s whose day job is managing Roundview “Contest” will make its world premiere “That’s a long time to keep young peo- award-winning “Stop Bullying” program, Capital, the investment firm he founded in on Oct. 6, the network announced ple engaged,” Howard Alter, chief execu- which next month will mark National 1992 - rolled up his sleeves in terms of Thursday. Set in a small-town high school, tive of Percolate Productions, the fledgling Bullying Prevention Month with an array of marketing it. it’s about a bully and his favorite target New Jersey outfit behind the project, told programming and events designed to “Having three teenage kids of my own, forging an unlikely friendship as partners TheWrap. “We sent out photos and video raise consciousness around the issue. and being on the set for a month with all in a cooking contest. from the film, shots from the set, what Snyder said the goal with “Contest” and these young people, it became clear how And to build awareness of the project, progress we were making in marketing the this year’s events was to take things to the important social media is to them,” Alter the movie’s producers leaned heavily on film and tried to keep them aware of what next level. said. “You have a certain budget to work Twitter and Facebook, where they got a the cast was doing.” “Kids want to live and learn in safe envi- with on an independent film, and I major boost from a social media-savvy cast A theatrical release was the initial tar- ronments,” he said. “We want to encour- thought I’d give it a try myself, which let us that includes a slew of on-the-rise stars. get, but the Cartoon Network seemed an age kids’ natural inclination to stop bully- reallocate the resources into the movie Among them are Kenton Duty (“Shake It ideal landing spot, and deals with iTunes, ing from happening, and get to the point itself.” Immediately following the 6-8 p.m. Up”), Katherine McNamara (“Madison Netflix and Red Box are still in the works. where speaking up is just ‘what you do.’” TV premiere of “Contest,” the Cartoon High”) and Dan Flaherty (“Skins”). The film will be featured at next month’s As for the social-media push, “I think Network will offer a live online Q & A with The cast also includes Kyle Dean 36th Mill Valley Film Festival. what the online campaign established was author and family expert Rosalind Massey (“Hart of Dixie”), Mary Beth Peil “We’re trying to inspire more open dis- that that there was an audience ready and Wiseman, one of the advisers who helped (“Dawson’s Creek”), Chris Riggi (“Gossip cussion between kids, parents and educa- willing to engage with us,” Alter told create the “Stop Bullying: Speak Up” cam- Girl”), Owen Teague (“Malibu Country”) tors about bullying,” added Stuart Snyder, TheWrap. paign. — Reuters.

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