Sunday, September 26, 2021

The Ref (1994)

IMDb plot summary: A cat burglar is forced to take a bickering, dysfunctional family hostage on Christmas Eve.
Directed by Ted Demme. Starring Denis Leary, Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey, and Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.

The humor relies heavily on the charisma and dynamics of these actors to make the film work. And it does, for the most part. It's always RIGHT on the verge of being too obnoxious, especially when it comes to Spacey and Davis' inability to keep from poking each other's sore spots, but it always manages to rein itself back in just when it's about the cross that line. The film doesn't quite land its semi-heartfelt ending, but the banter became more enjoyable as Leary's plans kept unraveling, and by the final third of the movie I was really enjoying it. It's also weirdly delightful seeing Glynis Johns as a villain. This doesn't always work for me but it's a great Christmas movie for people who hate Christmas movies, and I had a good time with it.

How it entered my Flickchart:
The Ref > Sunday in the Park With George
The Ref < Woman in the Dunes
The Ref > Being John Malkovich
The Ref < Steven Universe: The Movie
The Ref < Serendipity
The Ref < His Girl Friday
The Ref > All That Jazz
The Ref > Flight of the Navigator
The Ref > Manhunter
The Ref > Backbeat
The Ref < Idiocracy
Final spot: #1241 out of 3446, or 64%.

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