The Family Fang (B) Movie Review
The Family Fang stars Jason Bateman and Nicole Kidman as Baxter and Annie, the children of two widely-celebrated performance artists, played by Christopher Walken and Maryann Plunkett. After reassembling when Baxter is shot in the ear, the two parents mysteriously disappear in what appears to be a violent kidnapping. Suspicious of whether or not this may be another performance piece, Annie enlists Baxter's help in uncovering the truth.
A film that successfully subverts the tired dysfunctional family indie dramedy genre, The Family Fang is not without its faults but proves to be quite touching in the way it illuminates family dynamics with bitter honesty. Adapted from the popular book, The Family Fang lends itself to a film adaptation with its cinematic flashbacks and narrative twists. These flashbacks to when Walken and Plunkett enlisted their own childrens' help in their performances are adorably sweet. The sepia-tinted, golden storytelling device creates a joyful atmosphere.
This is almost immediately juxtaposed with the harsh realities dished to Annie and Baxter by life. Annie is a struggling actress, painted as mentally unstable by the tabloids and is about to cross her biggest hurdle yet: doing a nude scene in her latest film. Baxter is a novelist, struggling to sustain enthusiasm for his next project and finding little excursions in the meantime. Life has weathered these two, who once shared a bittersweet childhood together.
The film works so well in the how palpable Bateman and Kidman's chemistry is. The already-believable relationship given to them on paper is elevated by the duo's performances. Both succeed terrifically on their own, but paired together, create something heartbreakingly realistic. The two also share chemistry with their father, played by Christopher Walken. Though Maryann Plunkett's performance is strong, she's not given a lot to do. Walken's bizarre, yet amusing, performance as the pair's crazed father is endlessly entertaining. His obsession with his art has always come before his children's needs. Kidman particularly brings out a subtle bitterness towards him.
While starring in the film, Bateman also directed it. I was not the biggest fan of his directorial debut, Bad Words, but he demonstrates a prowess for direction and understanding of character here. Perhaps his greatest accomplishment is making this zany tale feel so grounded. I'm without a doubt interested to see where his career as a director goes next.
The film succeeds marvelously in honestly portraying sibling relationships, particularly a camaraderie they share with each other in the face of a common enemy (their parents). If The Family Fang is trying to say anything about the nature of art, the art world, or the intersection between art and life, it's completely lost. At times, it feels like Bateman is trying to make a statement on the difficulty of art but it's often overshadowed by other thematic components. The sibling dynamic thrives and proves to be far more interesting.
But the film is bizarrely paced. It takes roughly half the film before the real meat of the story begins to be chewed. Bateman takes the time to flesh out his characters which is effective enough but ideally, the development would happen during the action. The story is occasionally told in a non-linear fashion which is a bit staggering and, as we have knowledge of things that might happen later, slows the momentum. The narrative is occasionally hampered down by an odd pace.
Nevertheless, there's always interest there as to where this film could be going. As The Family Fang progresses, it fuels its own fire with random clues to the parents' whereabouts and powerful performances from its two lead actors. Bateman's latest endeavor is a messy one, but the truthful nature to his elaborations on family and sibling relationships is genuine.
FINAL GRADE: B
MPAA RATING: R for some language
A film that successfully subverts the tired dysfunctional family indie dramedy genre, The Family Fang is not without its faults but proves to be quite touching in the way it illuminates family dynamics with bitter honesty. Adapted from the popular book, The Family Fang lends itself to a film adaptation with its cinematic flashbacks and narrative twists. These flashbacks to when Walken and Plunkett enlisted their own childrens' help in their performances are adorably sweet. The sepia-tinted, golden storytelling device creates a joyful atmosphere.
This is almost immediately juxtaposed with the harsh realities dished to Annie and Baxter by life. Annie is a struggling actress, painted as mentally unstable by the tabloids and is about to cross her biggest hurdle yet: doing a nude scene in her latest film. Baxter is a novelist, struggling to sustain enthusiasm for his next project and finding little excursions in the meantime. Life has weathered these two, who once shared a bittersweet childhood together.
The film works so well in the how palpable Bateman and Kidman's chemistry is. The already-believable relationship given to them on paper is elevated by the duo's performances. Both succeed terrifically on their own, but paired together, create something heartbreakingly realistic. The two also share chemistry with their father, played by Christopher Walken. Though Maryann Plunkett's performance is strong, she's not given a lot to do. Walken's bizarre, yet amusing, performance as the pair's crazed father is endlessly entertaining. His obsession with his art has always come before his children's needs. Kidman particularly brings out a subtle bitterness towards him.
While starring in the film, Bateman also directed it. I was not the biggest fan of his directorial debut, Bad Words, but he demonstrates a prowess for direction and understanding of character here. Perhaps his greatest accomplishment is making this zany tale feel so grounded. I'm without a doubt interested to see where his career as a director goes next.
The film succeeds marvelously in honestly portraying sibling relationships, particularly a camaraderie they share with each other in the face of a common enemy (their parents). If The Family Fang is trying to say anything about the nature of art, the art world, or the intersection between art and life, it's completely lost. At times, it feels like Bateman is trying to make a statement on the difficulty of art but it's often overshadowed by other thematic components. The sibling dynamic thrives and proves to be far more interesting.
But the film is bizarrely paced. It takes roughly half the film before the real meat of the story begins to be chewed. Bateman takes the time to flesh out his characters which is effective enough but ideally, the development would happen during the action. The story is occasionally told in a non-linear fashion which is a bit staggering and, as we have knowledge of things that might happen later, slows the momentum. The narrative is occasionally hampered down by an odd pace.
Nevertheless, there's always interest there as to where this film could be going. As The Family Fang progresses, it fuels its own fire with random clues to the parents' whereabouts and powerful performances from its two lead actors. Bateman's latest endeavor is a messy one, but the truthful nature to his elaborations on family and sibling relationships is genuine.
FINAL GRADE: B
MPAA RATING: R for some language