The Ref (1994)
This is no great shakes, but it was better than I thought it would be. I found the salty dialog amusing for the most part. In general I like the kvetching Kevin Spacey module, featured here, better than the subdued Kevin Spacey, featured in Pay It Forward or The Shipping News. I think Judy Davis, who must have the record for the Australian in the most Woody Allen movies (four by my count), is awesome, and I’m probably likely to think more favorably of movies she is in. I sort of even liked Naked Lunch.
This is primarily a vehicle for Denis Leary to be Denis Leary, and a little definitely goes a long way with him. 93 minutes of him is about 84 minutes too much. What’s with the Mrs. Robinson pose on the DVD box?
And what’s with the weird upbeat ending? These people hate each other, and should continue to into infinity. Supposedly this originally ended much more appropriately, with Leary getting caught and going to prison, but test audiences hated it. Morality is a harsh mistress.
It seems like I’ve seen a lot of movies lately about crime bringing people together. Maybe all movies involving crime do that to some extent. Any outliers?
Links:
