The Ref (1994)

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Before I really get into this review, one should probably know a couple of things about my tastes that place a bit of a bias against this movie for yours truly. Despite it being recommended as something funny with a more adult slant, which I can appreciate, I definitely didn't know exactly what I was getting into here. It's safe to say it's a Christmas title others may hold in higher esteem than I, especially since this was my first time with it, something I'd known about for ages but never bothered with.

You see, when it comes to Denis Leary, I was never his biggest fan. I know, I'm in a bit of a minority with this, but to me, he always just represented fast-talking anger that we're supposed to find funny - a walking temper tantrum, if you will. His song 'Asshole' was always a classic, sure, but as a comedian, he never really did it for me. So, when it came to this movie, I purposely avoided it because I knew I wouldn't get out of it what others would. As it turns out, however, he was the least of my trouble throughout the movie - in fact, I found myself rooting for him.

Here, Leary plays a cat burglar by the name of Gus, whose recent Christmas Eve break-in went awry when he set off an alarm, and his getaway driver, Murray (Richard Bright), ditches him. Later, at a convenience store, he discovers a dysfunctional couple, Lloyd Chasseur (Kevin Spacey) and his wife, Caroline (Judy Davis), only to take them hostage in their own home in an effort to hide from the authorities, who have set up a curfew, and are going door to door in the neighbourhood in search of Gus, potentially at his next "target."

Lloyd and Caroline are in the midst of attending couples therapy sessions, unbeknownst to Gus, however, and soon Gus finds himself stuck in the position of "referee" between the bickering couple - and that's what kills the movie for me, despite it being the whole point (which I didn't fully realize). Couples, former couples, couples-to-be, etc., who bicker about each other throughout an entire movie is a massive pet peeve of mine, and tends to take me out of the film regardless of anything else happening. The odd time, it can be done effectively, but here, it's the central plot.

Caroline is guilty of having an affair and coddling their teenage son, Jesse (Robert J. Steinmiller Jr.), who is attending military school. Meanwhile, Lloyd comes across as a doormat, especially when it comes to his overbearing mother, Rose (Glynis Johns). As the pair bicker and argue despite their dire situation, Gus has to constantly tell them to knock it off, and, granted, this can be where Leary's anger-comedy comes into play reasonably well, only because he's continually saying what the viewer is thinking. Soon enough, the rest of the family comes into play, and Gus has to play things off like he's also a guest, but that's the film in a nutshell.

For something considered to be pretty good by most, I have to say, there wasn't a whole hell of a lot that stood out to me about this one. Most interesting is a subplot involving Jesse blackmailing his school's commanding officer, Siskel (J.K. Simmons), in an effort to save money to escape into a life of crime, just like Gus, but Gus tries to keep the kid on the level. It's a subplot, but it doesn't go anywhere, unfortunately, because the bickering couple needs to be the primary focus. It may have worked better in '94, but nowadays, I can't see it working quite as well.

The film does come with a genuine giggle or two, but nothing that makes me see it in this supposed bright light that so many others seem to. Once again, it's a Christmas comedy that comes across as more awkward and irksome than most; its humour relies heavily on pratfalls and the "relatability" of a dysfunctional couple/family. I think the only real reason to check this out is if you are a Denis Leary fan, because he's easily the best part of the film - and that's coming from a non-fan, which frankly says a bit too much against it. It's not one I see myself returning to often.

3/5 

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