The Family

Author(s): Stefano
Location: Italy

“The Family"

Directed by Martin Scorsese
Written by Martin Scorsese, James Toback
Original music by Ennio Morricone
Cinematography by Dante Spinotti
Art direction by Dennis Gassner
Costume design by Ruth Myers
Produced by Francis Ford Coppola

Principal Cast:

The Partannas Family:

Robert Loggia – Don Corrado Partanna (Partannas Godfather)
Vanessa Redgrave – Elaine Partanna (Don Corrado’s wife)
Robert De Niro – Anthony “Tony” Partanna (Don Corrado’s younger brother)
Leonardo DiCaprio – Thomas “Tommy” Partanna (Anthony’s son)
Sean Penn – Richard Partanna (Don Corrado’s younger son)
Annette Bening – Katharine Partanna (Richard’s wife)
Tim Robbins – Michael “Mike” Partanna (Don Corrado’s older son)
Lorraine Bracco – Liliana “Lilly” Partanna (Don Corrado’s daughter)

Other Characters:

Scarlett Johansson – Mary Jane Adams (Tommy’s girlfriend)
David Strathairn – William Hickner (Partannas family lawyer)
Harvey Keitel – Charley Santini (Partannas hit-man)
F. Murray Abraham – Don Bernardo Garrone (Garrones Godfather)

Tagline: “Honor. Power. Ambition. Everything that’s worth killing for"

Synopsis: “The Family” is a Martin Scorsese crime-drama about a fictional italian-american Mafia family. The film’s story spans ten years, from early 1980’s to 1990, telling the chronicle of Richard Partanna’s rise and fall in the world of crime. In 1980, don Corrado Partanna (Robert Loggia) is the old Godfather of Partannas family, a powerful organization which members control politics, finance, racket, gambling-houses and the drug-market all over America. But when don Corrado is shot dead by a killer hired by don Bernardo (F. Murray Abraham), the boss of the rival Garrones family, everything is inevitably destined to change. Michael (Tim Robbins), don Corrado’s first son and natural successor, is going to take the lead of the family; but Richard (Sean Penn), his younger brother, an ambitious and ruthless man, is ready to do anything in order to steal the power from Michael’s hands. Pushed by his scheming and astute wife Katharine (Annette Bening), Richard commissions Michael’s death and so he becomes the new Godfather, to the great disappointment of his uncle Anthony (Robert De Niro), don Corrado’s younger brother. Now that he’s got all the family business under his own control, Richard can prepare his cruel revenge against the Garrones family. At the same time, 30-years-old Thomas Partanna (Leonardo DiCaprio), Anthony’s young son, is considered the only one who can compete with Richard for the lead of the family; and although his father doesn’t want to see him involved in the same world he comes from, Thomas is as much ambitious and resolute as Richard. Soon, the terrible rivality between the two opposite factions of the family will give rise to the most violent and sanguinary Mafia-war ever. At the end of the movie, Thomas will finally kill his uncle Richard and will become the new Godfather of the Partannas.

What the press would say:

Academy Award nominee and celebrated director Martin Scorsese is the creator of this dark, majestic, three-hour long epic drama about the Mafia-world, the tin grey area between good and evil and the effects of power, violence and ambition on the human soul. Produced by Francis Ford Coppola and written for the big screen by James Toback and the director himself, “The Family” is a new chapter in Scorsese’s production of great gangster-movies as “Goodfellas”, “Casino” and “The Departed”.

The film stars a wonderful ensemble of award-winning actors. Sean Penn is at his best as Richard Partanna, a man obsessed with power and who’s fightin’ for his own rise to the top of the crime-kingdom; thanks to Penn’s breathtaking performance, his character is destined to become one of the most disturbing villains of the big screen. Co-star Leonardo DiCaprio, in his fourth collaboration with Scorsese, gives also an excellent performance as the young gangster Thomas Partanna. And Robert De Niro proves he’s still one of the greatest actors of all-time with his memorable and ambiguous role as Thomas’ father, Anthony Partanna.

Talking about the female cast, Annette Bening is terrific as Katharine Partanna, Richard’s determined wife, a modern Lady Macbeth who wants to be the Mafia first-lady and who shares the same desperate ambition of his husband. And Scarlett Johansson plays the key-role of Mary Jane Adams, Thomas’ young and charming girlfriend, an innocent character extraneous to the crime-world, who soon becomes Richard’s secret object of lust and desire, contributing to increase the rivality between Thomas and Richard Partanna.

Among the several members of the cast there are also Robert Loggia, in the brief but impressive role of the old Partannas Godfather don Corrado; Tim Robbins as Richard’s brother Michael, who’s killed just before the first half of the film; Lorraine Bracco as Lilly, don Giacomo’s daughter, who pushes Thomas into fight against Richard; David Strathairn as William Hickner, the family’s lawyer and Richard’s most devoted “consigliere”; Harvey Keitel as the ferocious hit-man Charley Santini; F. Murray Abraham as the boss don Bernardo Garrone; and Vanessa Redgrave in the role of Elaine Partanna, don Corrado’s devoted wife.

For your consideration:
Best Picture
Best Director – Martin Scorsese
Best Actor – Sean Penn
Best Actor – Leonardo DiCaprio
Best Supporting Actor – Robert De Niro
Best Supporting Actress – Annette Bening
Best Original Screenplay
Best Original Score
Best Cinematography
Best Editing