FAMILY BUSINESS

CAPSULE REVIEW –– A multi-generational caper film with an all-star cast that's less entertaining than it should be. What drew the three very talented actors to this male melodrama is a mystery to me. Only seconded by the inspired casting of Connery, Hoffman and Broderick as blood relatives, which is not the only irrational notion we're expected to swallow. Connery is the black sheep of the family, a patriarch with a criminal past. Hoffman is his uptight son, who's left his own shady dealings behind in order to live an honest life. Broderick plays the grandson, a young man with a future filled with promise, yet distinctly lacking in excitement. Unable to deny his thieving blood, Broderick enlists the help of his grandfather in a supposedly simple robbery that will gain them a tidy sum. Hoffman opts into the affair to protect his son and keep an eye on his father. Complications occur causing emotions to boil over and placing their futures on the outside in jeopardy. Though well-acted, the story never quite gels into anything consistent. It has comic moments, but isn't funny enough to be called a comedy. On the flip side, the drama feels manufactured. Mostly conflict for conflict's sake. Constant arguing is annoying to watch, no matter who's doing it. The idea behind the film is clever, the execution uninspired. A waste of great talent.