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Critics Consensus: Layered performances from Nicole Kidman and director-star Jason Bateman add extra depth to The Family Fang's sharply observed look at domestic dysfunction.
Critic Consensus: Layered performances from Nicole Kidman and director-star Jason Bateman add extra depth to The Family Fang's sharply observed look at domestic dysfunction.
All Critics (81) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (66) | Rotten (15)
Bateman and Nicole Kidman, too old to convincingly pull off this sibling pair, would have fared better as the parents.
"The Family Fang" is kind of messy but also fun and touching; it's a definite step forward for Bateman as a director ...
Bateman knows his fractured family well, but "Fang" doesn't give him enough to chew on. The characters are all scarred, but the film doesn't leave a mark.
It's heavy stuff, served with a light touch.
Fang is directed by Bateman with a sensitivity that the story's sour whimsy doesn't quite deserve.
Even when The Family Fang stretches credulity, we stay with it. Bateman knows how to tell a story.
Bateman brings the full force of his directorial ability to the film, finding beauty in every camera placement and character movement.
Perhaps a desire to distance itself from being a Wes Anderson knockoff was slightly overplayed, because Bateman's version, while good, is more downbeat than it has to be.
"The Family Fang" is a fairly solid feature that explores familial relationships in a different context. It also questions the dedication to art by way of sacrificing personal relationships for it.
The Family Fang: A Real Dysfunctional Family
The Fangs may be an odder family than most, but the damage they inflict is a matter of attitude.
Bateman and Kidman have an easy chemistry, while Walken and Plunkett deliver strong performances.
When police show up with crime scene photos of an empty car and foul play suspicions, the daughter remains convinced it is twisted deception by her renowned performance artist parents, whereas her brother is much less than certain. An original story that takes an interesting look at the nature of art. Caleb (an inspired Christopher Walken) contends that art must be dynamic and of the moment, not left to rot bottled up in a gallery, and gained cult theme with a series of short films shot in public which included is young children as a means of shocking the surrounding unknowing public. Nicole Kidman does find work as an now adult actress trying to put her past behind her, take a new step forward, and restart her flagging career. She reconnects with her parents and her brother (Jason Bateman, who also directed), a author two years behind his publishing date for his third novel. I enjoyed watching this fractured family dynamic without knowing where it was headed, so I'll gladly reward an extra half star for that. "Titty shots!"
Super Reviewer
Jason Bateman should focus on character films as he clearly has the talent and the eye as the director. This dysfunctional family film is not going to play for everyone and you can already see the mixed audience review. This is a well acted and cast film, these artsy style films are better for the audiences that are tired of blockbuster borefests. I enjoy slow burning emotional films and this is right up there with some of the great quirky films. Kidman adds strong weight next to Bateman and is in a career best form, it's just a shame that this will miss mainstream appeal. Great film and another fine Bateman director appearance, cannot wait to see where he goes next.
Bateman and Kidman are great as a brother and sister trying to help each other figure out and deal with the individual flaws in themselves even as they face a bigger monster: the flaws in their family. That the family are performance artists only adds taste to the mix. I only wish that Chris Walken's character had more explanation, however well played.
I rather enjoyed Jason Bateman's 2014 directorial debut Bad Words. I think I've watched it more times than I initially imagined I would given I thought it was fine, but little more. That said, I was really excited to see what Bateman would do next in the director's chair and boy does he deliver. While I had tempered expectations for The Family Fang it was clear after the films cold open that we were in for something pretty unique. This is in fact the strongest element the film has going for it in that you never quite know where it's going. Eventually, given the circumstances presented, we understand the themes of family and liberation that are being touched upon, but never do we know exactly what will happen next. This is due largely in part to the fact the premise is so different and off the wall. Adapted from a 2011 Kevin Wilson novel by screenwriter David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole, Oz the Great and Powerful) The Family Fang is a film that is telling a dysfunctional family story through the conduit of performance art. With this material Bateman has taken advantage of the dark comedic tones the story highlights and is really able to explore not only his growth as a filmmaker (you can feel the more assured hand at work), but a more complex range of emotions. Bad Words was very on the nose for the sarcastic, cynical straight man, but Family Fang requires more layers and layers he has provided as his latest film never stops evolving and the characters only grow out of the demons they're forced to come face to face with. read the whole review at www.reviewsfromabed.com
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