Four of five movies this week deal with all the problems and tensions that come with our deal, beloved families:

1. Rachel Getting Married—The new drama from Jonathan Demme is something very special—a touching and intense family drama, sparked by beautiful performances by Rosemarie DeWitt and Anne Hathaway. The film tells the story of rehabilitated Kym (Hathaway) coming for Rachel’s wedding, only to reignite old family scars. Shot on handheld HD cameras, it is a film that is both authentic and touching. (Lincoln Plaza Cinema)

2. Mafioso (1962)—As Film Forum begins an Alberto Sordi marathon, this is one classic you won’t want to miss. It’s a comedy about the Mafia and Sicily, and Sordi plays a family man who returns to his roots, only to find himself needing to do a couple offers he can’t refuse. Before The Godfather made Mafia movies popular, Mafioso started it all, in a strange and often amusing way. (Film Forum—Sunday Only)
3. Religulous—Bill Maher is often a jerk and spends most of his time just making fun a people but in Religulous he has a point—organized religion is a dangerous institution that could bring about the apocalypse. Even if he spends most of his time bashing on truck stop churches or Jesus impersonators (which is hilarious nonetheless), he makes a movie that might not change your beliefs, but will make you see his side. (AMC Lincoln Center)
4. Ballast—Our dear Eye editor Alexandria Symonds wrote a wonderful piece on this complex tale about three families under pressure after a suicide. Comparisons have been made to David Gordon Green’s George Washington, which since he has gone mainstream, looks like a perfect replacement. (Film Forum)
5. Blindness—As much as I love Fernando Meirelles, Blindness is kind of a mess of a film. Julliane Moore and Mark Ruffalo are somewhat wasted in this allegory about the world going blind and social chaos erupting (or is it the other way around?), and Gael Garcia Bernal is over the top terrible. Still, Meirelles has some great camera work that could be recommended. (AMC Lincoln Center)