Rather than portraying the yakuza as the badass, ruthless thugs that bring crime to the streets, A Family is much more subdued. That’s because, with fewer people joining their ranks, the yakuza aren’t the force they used to be, with only a few holdouts scrambling for the scraps. It’s probably a good thing for the country as a whole, but for the protagonists here, the people born and raised in that life, it means losing the community that once gave them everything. A Family still has some of the violence that makes the yakuza genre exciting to watch, but it’s the existential contemplation of the yakuza as a whole that makes the film compelling.
Synopsis
Taken in by the yakuza at a young age, Kenji swears allegiance to his old-school boss, pledging to adhere to the family code amid ever-changing times.
Storyline
After his father died, Kenji Yamamoto swears allegiance to the crime syndicate that takes him in, led by their boss Hiroshi Shibazaki. However, after taking the fall for a rival henchman, Kenji is released from prison 15 years later to a world where the Yakuza has become obsolete.
TLDR
Ouch. Don't watch this if you're looking for badass action, watch this if you want to cry.
What stands out
The mood. The group are dangerous criminals that have hurt people, and the film acknowledges that, but it’s still easy to sympathize with the characters for feeling lost without it.
