Batman Alum: Christopher Walken, Nicole Kidman This Jason Bateman-helmed drama about a pair of sibling's search for their missing parents is another Gotham two-fer, as it stars Nicole Kidman as Bateman's sister and Christopher Walken as their father. And with anyone else in those roles, this portrait of a dysfunctional family who can't quite get their crap together (I know, another one of those movies) might have fallen flat or seemed too repetitive. Instead, The Family Fang offers a rare sight: a movie about bizarre parents who inadvertently messed up their children's lives with a reckless, unstructured upbringing that doesn't wallow in the negativity for very long. It's darkly comic, surprisingly grounded, and superbly executed. Walken gets weird with it yet again, but this time it doesn't just seem like he's "pulling a Walken," because it fits perfectly with his character for once. This isn't just Christopher Walken up there on the screen, it's Caleb Fang. There's an actual distinction to be made this time around, which is hopefully something that Walken will be allowed to carry into future roles. And Nicole Kidman does a fair job in her role as the tender, warm-hearted sister. She's a little quirky (which is often the worst word used to describe a character in these kinds of movies) but not on the manic pixie level. And most impressively, she allows the narrative to carry the film forward without trying to do too much. That restraint - among both her and Walken - is possibly the greatest achievement here.
