johnlink ranks THE REF (1994)
Watched Denis Leary on Funny or Die doing a three minute review of a bunch of his movies ( http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/6fc5cf60e3/denis-leary-remembers-denis-leary-movies-from-fod-team ). He mentions that he thinks THE REF is “the greatest Christmas movie ever made.” While I’m not sure that THE REF is your traditional Christmas movie, and can’t really disagree with his thesis. I’ve been meaning to watch it again since I saw the video a month or so ago. So I did.
Basically, after a failed theft Denis Leary kidnaps a bickering couple played by Kevin Spacey and Joan Allen. Hilarity ensues.
I watched THE REF (1994) on 2.11.09. It was probably the eighth or ninth time I’ve seen it, but the first time in several years.
NOTE: THIS RANKING UTILIZES THIS SITE’S ORIGINAL SYSTEMIC ARTICLE WRITING METHOD. THE METHOD BY WHICH THE RANKINGS WERE ARRIVED AT, HOWEVER, REMAINS THE SAME.
FILM
None of the points here are for filmmaking. This is a pretty standard comedy, and there is not a single shot which impresses. But I like the message of this film, and I like the evolution of the married couple. I know my ranking here is probably high. But, oh well. SCORE: 5
MOVIE
Love this movie. There are at least five or six roar out loud funny moments. Some of the deadpan stuff has aged a little, I found a few of the staged gimmicks a little flat, but the relationship between kidnapper and victims stills plays out extremely well. And when the family moves from the dining room to the living room… well the last reel of this film is comic gold. SCORE: 8
ACTING
Spacey has definitely stretched a little further in other roles. But he doesn’t get much funnier than in this one. There are a whole bunch of cameos, including Ray Barry, J. Jonah Jameson, Christine Baranski, BD Wong. A whole shlew of people who had supporting roles in this before being bigger stars. SCORE: 5
WRITING
Truly funny script with more to say than a typical comedy of this sort. Love the argument at the end. Love it when Kevin Spacey declares that “The corpse still has the floor.” Love it all. SCORE: 7
FINAL TALLY
FILM: 5; MOVIE: 8; ACTING: 5; WRITING: 7
5+8+5+7+0 = 25
FINAL SCORE: 6.25
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