The Family Director: Luc Besson Starring: Robert De Niro, ­Michelle Pfeiffer, Tommy Lee Jones ⋆⋆⋆

The French cinema legend Luc Besson directs this comedy about a mob family (led by De Niro and Pfeiffer) who move to rural France under witness protection, struggling to adjust to their new way of life. Besson’s strength is in action not comedy, so the tone can often vary wildly, which can be jarring. When it works, however, it’s deliciously mischievous – such as a sneering Pfeiffer blowing up a convenience store. Besson’s greatest strength is his inspired casting. De Niro may not be at full throttle, but he provides a likeable patriarch, providing a world-weary foil to Pfeiffer and Jones, the long-suffering agent in charge of keeping them undercover.

* James Luxford