Movies

Review: In ‘Riff Raff’ a misfit family reunion goes violently off the rails

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Riff Raff” is an engaging crime comedy that takes an unconventional route. Unlike typical stories featuring a heist or a bag of money/drugs, this film revolves around three conflicted families struggling to protect their loved ones during a particularly violent New Year’s Eve, as skillfully directed by Dito Montiel.

As a former hitman named Vincent, I’ve found myself in the role of a father to two different groups. After making mistakes and leaving my first family – rowdy Ruth, her son Rocco, and me – I decided to change my ways and become a better man for my younger wife, Sandy, and our sheltered teenage son D.J.

For a while, the sinners and the saints lived separate lives until chaos erupted when Ruth, Rocco, and his pregnant girlfriend, Marina, showed up at our vacation cabin to escape my former partner, Leftie. He’s on a deadly mission to eliminate everyone due to a feud involving his son, Jonathan. Accompanying Leftie is Lenny, a comical sidekick played by Pete Davidson.

Blood may be invaluable, yet it seems the familial bond linking Ruth and Rocco to Sandy and D.J., which we might call their family lineage, has a potentially harmful or restrictive aspect to it.

It’s evident that this script was incredibly effective in persuading the elusive Murray to call. Screenwriter John Pollono hails from L.A.’s 99-seat theater world, where he excels at weaving humor, suspense, and themes together seamlessly. He strategically positions his characters according to their levels of innocence. Characters Rocco and D.J., although sharing a father, seem to have been brought up in entirely different worlds.

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In this movie, a character’s brain matter is shown smearing on a window in pieces. However, the character “Riff Raff” surprisingly reveals not only intelligence but also compassion. The initial part of the film primarily consists of casual chats between estranged family members, with the most memorable scene being an extended flashback detailing how Rocco won over Marina. Through these scenes, we discover that this seemingly rough gangster possesses genuine empathy.

Indeed, each character portrays genuine feelings authentically. Montiel’s focus on human aspects within this unconventional film genre serves as his main argument. Notably, Postacchini skillfully gives depth to her secondary character, ensuring her significance in the storyline. She radiates so brightly that when Marina lowers her intensity in a futile effort to remain inconspicuous, we truly sense her light diminishing.

As Leftie and Lonnie travel towards the cabin, the soundtrack thumps with a rhythm that resembles a ticking time bomb and an otherworldly musical saw for added suspense. However, the scenes unfold less dramatically than anticipated. Murray gives a solid performance, delivering threats in a gravelly East Coast accent while maintaining a cold, unyielding gaze. He and Davidson share a rugged camaraderie, whispering jokes to each other. (Davidson even manages a chuckle with the line “Nice ziti.”) The storyline involving Leftie and Lonnie’s road trip primarily unfolds far from the main action, with the questionable duo constantly reassuring they won’t harm innocents — only to do so anyway. The most captivating scene in the entire film is their interaction with two affluent suburbanites who fail to comprehend they’re in peril, approaching them as boldly as the blue-footed boobies of the Galapagos Islands.

A significant issue arises when certain characters within the narrative attempt to navigate this heightened reality as if it were ordinary life. It appears that Union and Harvey believe they are there to connect with the audience rather than serving as mere props. Harvey, a promising newcomer, portrays a character, D.J., who is a Dartmouth freshman and has only faced challenges like being friend-zoned. This role demands a dramatic shift that doesn’t align with the general mood. If D.J. were more of an exaggerated character, it might explain why Harvey speaks in a voice slightly higher than necessary. I wished for him to fully embrace his character, from his wardrobe to his expressions. The scene where Montiel uses him comically, interrupting grave murder discussions with complaints about the BBQ grill, is spot-on.

This type of violent plot feels overly predictable, reminiscent of many from the ’90s. Director Montiel initially gives the impression that he’s aiming for something deeper emotionally than the early scenes suggest. The film’s central theme of fatherly redemption and sibling animosity is authentic, yet it raises doubts about Victor’s genuine transformation and long-term marital happiness with Sandy. Despite the script’s assertion that their 18-year marriage is harmonious, it doesn’t convince us. To reinforce this idea, a love scene is included, but it falls flat.

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Jennifer Coolidge has long been a well-known actress, but receiving her initial Emmy nomination for “The White Lotus” marks an exceptional milestone for her. This achievement, at once exhilarating and nerve-wracking, is something she finds particularly noteworthy.

The plot revolves around us accepting an unconventional portrayal of Victor – a character hard to visualize as a deceitful cad, living in a luxurious home, sporting a sophisticated hat, married to a stunning younger woman, and having a son who is unaware of much about him. When Rocco, played by Pullman as a disheveled mess, learns that he’s similar to his father, it’s difficult to perceive the resemblance. Rocco claims that he’s learning to be Victor’s polar opposite. On the verge of becoming a father himself, he harbors boiling anger over his past neglect.

In our frequent enjoyment of complex protagonists, portrayed masterfully by Ed Harris, it’s surprising when Montiel shows he holds Victor in less regard than we might expect. Much like a cunning pool player, Montiel keeps his intentions hidden until the end. The strategy doesn’t yield the best results, but at least the movie “Riff Raff” grows more intelligent as it progresses.

The initial portrayal of Coolidge’s character appears as a harsh consequence, where her role as Ruth is unsettling and lonely, constantly wandering through her ex’s home like an intrusive raccoon, sifting through Sandy’s cosmetics and inappropriately touching Victor. Coolidge delivers some witty, vulgar lines, with the camera focusing on her ample decolletage. However, her character is unappealing, even to her own family who fail to accept her, despite her attempts to garner their sympathy through an uncomfortable monologue about how she was taught by her father to endure mediocrity.

Montiel cleverly transforms Ruth’s unpleasant demeanor from comical to pitiable, highlighting her sad realization that she doesn’t fit in among the group. Later, Leftie will pose the question to the clan about who he should eliminate first. By this point, I found myself empathizing with her or at least considering adding her back onto our holiday card list.

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2025-03-01 05:01

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