Malavita (2013)
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A Mafia family in witness protection struggles to adapt to rural French life while being hunted by their former rivals.
The story
After snitching on a rival boss, Mafia boss Giovanni Manzoni and his family enter the FBI witness protection program. They relocate to a village in Normandy, where they attempt to blend in. Giovanni claims to be an author, but his past habits and the family's inability to fully adapt create friction. While the children try to navigate school and romance, the family remains under constant surveillance by FBI agents. However, their past catches up with them when a series of events threatens to expose their true identities and location to their enemies.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Mafia boss Giovanni Manzoni survives an attempted hit and snitches on rival Don Luchese, leading him and his family into the FBI witness protection program. They settle in the village of Cholong-sur-Avre, Normandy. Giovanni pretends to be a historical novelist, but his temper leads him to assault a plumber and a fertilizer factory owner over brown water issues. His daughter Belle falls for a math teacher, Henri, while his son Warren creates a mini-Mafia at school, inadvertently alerting Don Luchese to their location. Maggie maintains a friendship with a priest but eventually confesses their crimes to him. During an American film event, Giovanni's desire to tell his story leads to a public confession, forcing a relocation. Warren attempts to flee to Paris to start his own Mafia, but hitmen arrive. A violent confrontation ensues at the family home, where Maggie, Belle, and Warren fight off hitmen with various weapons. Despite the slaughter of innocent neighbors, Giovanni finds peace in having shared his story, and the family relocates once more.
- Original title
- Malavita
- First release year
- 2013
- Runtime (minutes)
- 111
- Production countries
- France; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Luc Besson
- Writers
- Luc Besson · co-writer; Michael Caleo · co-writer
- Cast and characters
- Robert De Niro · Giovanni Manzoni; Michelle Pfeiffer · Maggie; Tommy Lee Jones · Warren; Dianna Agron · Belle; John D'Leo · null
- Genres
- crime thriller; action comedy; black comedy; crime action; crime comedy
- Themes
- identity; family loyalty; adaptation; crime and consequence
- Tone and mood
- dark comedy; violent; zapping electrical energy
- Premise and plot tags
- witness protection; mafia; dysfunctional family; fish-out-of-water
- Source material / true-story basis
- Malavita (Badfellas) by Tonino Benacquista
- Reception
- The film received mixed to negative reviews, criticized for its jarring tonal shifts and disorganized structure, though the cast's performances were generally praised.
- Reported review scores
- CinemaScore · score: C · scale: A+ to F
- Awards and nominations
- Women Film Critics Circle Awards · Best Young Actress · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was originally titled Malavita.; Robert De Niro was the only person besides the dog trainer to spend time with the family dog, Emeron, during workouts.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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