Jason Bateman is getting better and better at directing. Working with an adaption of Kevin Wilson's novel, by screenwriter David Lindsay-Abaire ("Rabbit Hole”), this is his second movie behind the camera. He rounds up a great ensemble of actors (himself included) to deliver a funny, sensitive, and layered piece of work. It's an original story about the thin, squiggly, line between art and life, comfortably swaying between comedy and drama. To call "The Family Fang" an improvement on Bateman’s debut "Bad Words", would be an understatement. A dysfunctional structure and some bizarre plotting stop the film from reaching greatness, but never from being endearingly satisfying.
The Fang family unit is really, really strange. As seen in the opening sequence, they're pranksters who practice experimental public performance art. The first one we see, to give you an idea, is a young boy walking into a bank with a gun and adorably holding up the place...
