City Island (2009): review 7/10

A prison guard brings a convict home to live with his family- an ill-mannered, if amusing collection of Italian New Yorkers which includes his sharp tongued wife, his insolent son (who has a fixation with fat women), and  pole-dancing daughter.

This is a very enjoyable, classic screwball comedy, with much fun arising from the characters' various secrets.

The film begins very promisingly, alternatingly surprisingly between black comedy and pathos, and is very well acted, but it loses its sharpness somehow along the way as the plot works towards its conclusions

There are very poor table manners in this film, with much gesticulating with forks and even food being thrown across a dining table.