«Family Business», an astonishing Netflix series

Cinema Wednesdays - Jonas Follonier

Available on Netflix, the new French series Family Business is both highly effective and clumsy. Despite its impressive cast (Gérard Darmon, Julia Piaton, Liliane Rovère), it suffers from an unexpected childishness. Verdict.

Are TV series the future of cinema? We asked experts in the field this question when Le Regard Libre had organized a round-table discussion on the subject. When you look at certain widely watched American productions, it’s hard to imagine any kind of positive future. But it wouldn’t be fair to say that these series don’t play an important role in today’s media landscape. And, within the world of TV series itself, Netflix is a phenomenon that cannot be ignored.

So, a new French series debuted on the platform on June 28. Let's just say it right away: like most Netflix productions, the first season of Family Business, consisting of six episodes, each thirty minutes long, is undeniably effective. Kudos to the American production for finding the right ingredients to make a story that’s never boring: a simple, consistent visual style; carefully crafted, cohesive music; a title sequence that gets right to the point; and opening scenes that immediately establish the plot and characters.

Read also: Westworld and immortality

Igor Gotesman’s series is no exception to the rule, and it’s great that prestigious actors like Gérard Darmon and Liliane Rovère agreed to star in a Netflix series about a family getting into the (soon-to-be) legal cannabis business. But did they read the script before signing the contract? While the basic plot is enjoyable, certain characters’ lines ruin everything with their cringey one-liners worthy of pre-teen humor.

Above all, one element in particular leaves the viewer speechless: the obsession with farts, feet, pee, and other bodily waste. There’s a kind of «scatocracy» in the dialogue that, with just one bad pun, makes certain scenes lose all their charm. I’m not exaggerating: it’s hard to understand the director’s intentions with this lowbrow, cringe-worthy humor that’s so prevalent in this first season. While the combination of a Netflix production and a quintessentially French story was promising, the crass comedy that partly results from it is surprising and disappointing. You’ll agree that we’ve seen better combinations than the ’beauf-dèg'.".

This in no way prevents Family Business many other great qualities that its production and its casting. Take, for example, how this story is rooted in current events in France, set against the backdrop of the legalization of cannabis and intermarriages between Jews and North Africans. Or, crucially, the beauty of the cinematography in so many scenes, featuring sweeping camera movements and remarkable visual transitions. Finally, the soft electronic music by Paul-Marie Barbier and Julien Grunberg creates a pleasant and familiar atmosphere. It’s a nice change from harp music.

Write to the author: [email protected]

Photo credit: © Netflix