the basic virtue - it is an ambitious, interesting and original film by Jason Bateman.and, for him, it is a real good point. in same measure, it is an inspired analysis of parenthood. not the last, the good performances( especially the reasonable younger Caleb of Jason Butler Harner).the sin - fragile balance for define the art as pretext for control of life of family.the roles are straitjackets. the thin line between comedy and drama.the sketches of immaturity, credible but not convincing.short, a good film. especially for reflect. about family, its foundation , its values and the parenthood as significant part defining it.

Bad-parent movies are a popular comedy genre that laughs at parents for not being perfect. The drama, thriller or horror versions are more about exploring the dark side of family life and the damage that adults inflict on their young. The offbeat satire The Family Fang (2015) has its funny moments but this is not a comedy. It is a portrait of psychological abuse conducted by parents in the name of art with sinister undercurrents always beneath the surface.Internationally renowned Caleb Fang (Christopher Walken) and his wife Camille (Maryanne Plunkett) are performance artists dedicated to disrupting the conventions of normality. They stage impromptu happenings in public places simply to witness the sublime beauty of the resulting chaos. Their children Annie (Nicole Kidman) and Baxter (Jason Bateman) have been used as performance props since they were born and their adult lives bear the scars of parenting based on artifice and deception. As youngsters they busked a song "kill all parents so you can keep living" just to get crowd reactions, but they could not foresee the truth in the lyrics nor how their parents would control their lives into adulthood.The story unfolds backwards with Annie and Baxter at their parent's empty home searching for clues to explain the sudden and violent of disappearance of Caleb and Camille. Police believe the worst but the siblings believe it is just another stunt. While trawling through videos and other memorabilia, they see their lives paraded before them. They realise that they have always been exploited and are victims of unresolved psychological abuse. Through flashbacks, they can see Caleb as a violent personality and Camille as meekly compliant while family gatherings were tension-filled events under Caleb's domination. When the siblings question the value of the performances the reaction is pure menace.This is a dysfunctional family in both obvious and implied ways, and the film keeps us guessing whether the knotted ball can ever be untangled. The four characters are well defined with strong and believable performances, and the conflicts between young and old are frighteningly recognisable as the kind of things that happen in both normal and transgressive families. When Caleb says "parents damage kids, so what" it sends a shiver down your spine to realise that some people are not psychologically equipped to be parents. Annie and Baxter must confront the fact that letting their parents go may the only way to grow up. This is an original take on an age-old story that is also provocative and engaging.

Sadness. Sadness so absolute it is punishing.This is the best way I can describe what watching the inexorably depressing drama "The Family Fang" feels like virtually from start to finish. Jason Bateman is quite good in his role as we have become accustomed to seeing from the gifted actor. Bateman also doubles as Director here, and he certainly shows some intriguing promise for the future behind the camera. This is also in my opinion one of the best performances I have ever seen Nicole Kidman deliver. And I've seen her perform a lot.Regrettably, none of this outstanding work can rescue "The Family Fang" from the chokehold of despondency which this wretched story relentlessly strangles us with. Ultimately what we are saddled with is a misery-drenched tale of two parents (Christopher Walken and Maryann Plunkett) who regard their young children as little more than compliant pawns in a twisted game of self-aggrandizement and perverse gratification. And all in the name of obliterating the boundaries of "performance art".It is child abuse that these two sinister souls inflict upon their own flesh and blood. Nothing else. It is abjectly despicable.And it is so VERY sad.

Justin Bateman directs this odd little movie with a clear sense of how the movie should feel. It has real texture. The casting is terrific and the story telling is compelling. I watched it over a period of three nights and thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it.Nicole Kidman does a convincing job of playing a struggling movie star who isn't recognized easily by the public. She is wonderful to watch as she interacts with Justin Bateman's character. Christopher Walken, as you might imagine plays their nutty father playing the role Christophe Walken seems to play in many movies. Maryann Plunkett plays the mother's role very well as she is torn between her life as it is and as it could have been.Lots of other actors also play these characters in flashbacks which tie the story together. This was a very enjoyable, easy to watch movie. Good Job Justin.