But even a comedy requires some sort of authenticity among its characters, some sort of real underpinning, to be really effective. It is, to be sure, a comedy, with dramatic nuance certainly taking a backseat. How their family dynamics came to be is never explained, the leading up to their relocation is never really explored, and the motivations of those after them is never fully fleshed out. They never feel like real characters, even among themselves. It immediately sets out to surprise us with these often unlikable characters, but does it through situational gags, not any sort of characterization. The script is the most glaring problem for the family. It simply never feels believable, even to itself. Centered on an American Mafia family forced to relocate to Europe after entering the witness protection program, the film tries desperately to be an off-beat comedy, yet only achieves very sporadic instances of humor. It's familiar, largely unfunny, and predictable. The family is the sort of film so wrapped up in its own perceived cleverness, that it never stops to realize its own short-comings.
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