“The Ref” (1994)
Film Review by Julia Dudnik-Stern
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| Gus (Leary,
center) takes the Chasseurs (Davis,
Spacey) hostage, only to realize,
in his own words: “Great.
I hijacked my fucking parents.” |
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"The Ref” isn’t just a great holiday
movie; it’s a great movie period. It
offers an entirely unique and memorable combination
of powerhouse writing, directing, and acting;
there isn’t one questionable line in
the entire script, and the chemistry between
the three lead actors (Leary, Davis, and Spacey)
is unbelievable.
The premise of the plot is relatively simple:
Gus (Denis Leary) is a cat burglar trying
to score in a wealthy Connecticut town on
Christmas Eve. Of course, everything goes
wrong; as Gus thinks he got by the intricate
security system of a mansion, he gets cat
piss in the face, a bite on the ass from a
very friendly guard dog, and an empty spot
where his getaway car and driver should have
been. As the police rush to the scene of the
crime, Gus is forced into a grocery store
where he takes a hostage, Caroline Chasseur
(Judy Davis), hoping to sit out the manhunt
in her house.
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| What
you don’t see in this
still is the resident Santa
who just stumbled into the
Chasseurs’ living
room. As Caroline and Lloyd
look on, the inebriated
jolly man says to Gus, “What,
you’re pulling a gun
on me? I’m not afraid
of you. You think you can
take me? I’m Santa
Claus!” |
|
|
Gus has no idea that he is about to find out
what Hell truly is. (Gus: “I am in Hell.
Connecticut is the fifth ring of Hell!”)
Caroline and her husband Lloyd (Kevin Spacey)
are on the verge of a divorce, despite extensive
therapy. Even being held at gun point doesn’t
stop their bickering, which Gus is forced
to referee in a struggle for control of the
situation — as he is trying to find
his accomplice at every neighboring bar while
avoiding daft local cops and everyone else
that shows up at the Chasseurs’ door
bearing fruit cake. But wait, it gets worse:
Juvenile delinquent Jesse Chasseur arrives
home for the holiday, bringing with him a
blackmail scheme and an unhealthy attitude.
And for the piece de resistance,
the whole family is coming
to dinner.
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| Having
tied Caroline and Lloyd to chairs,
Gus attempts to reason with them:
“Let me say it one more time:
I have a gun; it’s loaded;
shut up, OK?” |
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“The Ref” makes an impression
of a lavish production. It is beautifully
shot; the ambiance of a Connecticut town during
the holidays is captured perfectly. Yet the
real beauty of this hilarious black comedy
is that it doesn’t rely solely on dialogue;
instead, the story moves at a brisk pace,
with something new constantly happening and
the characters responding in a manner reminiscent
of real life or on-the-spot improvisation.
The movie has an edge-of-your-seat feel more
common to action adventures; you just can’t
wait to see what else can possibly happen
to poor Gus and how it’ll all work out.
The characters are also atypical for a comedy;
no one is one-dimensional. For instance, Gus
the cat burglar with a potty mouth knows a
real Chagall when he sees it on the Chasseurs’
wall. Caroline is a neurotic, bored, nicotine-addicted
adulteress who puts together dinner parties
combining inedible dishes with history lessons.
Lloyd, an emasculated momma’s boy who
manages her antiques store and lives in her
house, has more guts than one would imagine,
not to mention his acerbic wit.
Just when you think you can’t laugh
anymore, the story gets even funnier as
the rest of the family arrives to partake
in one of Caroline’s insane dinner
creations (this year, everyone has to wear
huge, elaborate head pieces). The balance
of the household shifts as soon as the matriarch,
aptly played by Glynis Johns, walks through
the door, accompanied by Lloyd’s pansy
brother, his wife, and their two children.
As mommy dearest proceeds to torture everyone
with insults, two-cent gifts, and endless
reminders of her financial support, Gus
attempts to pretend he is Caroline and Lloyd’s
psychiatrist. He eventually loses it, and
Denis Leary gets to say the line that has
become a favorite among this film’s
fans: Addressing Lloyd’s mother, Gus
screams, “Lady, your husband isn’t
dead! He is hiding!”
I’m a big fan of foul language done
right, and so few writers and actors can
pull it off without seeming needlessly profane.
Here, the perfectly cast Leary delivers
obscene lines with his usual pizzazz, while
the slightly more reserved characters played
by Davis and Spacey quickly catch on and
let loose. (Caroline to Lloyd: “Humans
have feelings. Didn’t your
alien leaders tell you that before they
sent you here?” Lloyd to his mother:
“You know what I’m going to
get you next year for Christmas? A big wooden
cross, so every time you feel unappreciated
for all your sacrifices, you can climb on
up and nail yourself to it.”)
The charming dialogue is well supported by
anecdotal detail. Santa gets drunk. Local
cops manage to record a movie over a video
tape, the one key piece of evidence in the
burglary. Lloyd gets an erection while being
tied up with his wife. Gus’s accomplice
finds an ex-con girlfriend… All of this
mayhem leads to a formulaic happy holiday
ending — proving once and for all that
there is absolutely nothing wrong with formula,
provided that’s not the only thing you’ve
got going. With all the classic elements of
a Christmas movie, this one rises far above
the usual holiday family fare.
Read more about
the director and actors
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| Gone
too soon at the age of 38
(January 2002), Ted
Demme has made
quite a mark during his
relatively short time in
the industry. The latest
and, perhaps, most memorable
among his many directing
credits is “Blow”
(2001), the story of George
Jung (played by Johnny Depp),
the founder of... Read
more. |
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| Most
people readily recognize
Denis Leary
as one of the most cynical,
foul-mouthed stand-up comics
of today (OK, perhaps alongside
another favorite of mine,
George Carlin). Leary’s
irreverent, uncompromising
wit has served him well;
his debut comedy... Read
more. |
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| Although
I first had the pleasure
of seeing Australian actress
Judy Davis
in “The Ref,”
the critics had already
dubbed her as “one
of the best actresses working
today, with stellar turns
in a variety of unusual
roles” by the time
of this film’s release
in... Read
more. |
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| There
is little that isn’t
public knowledge about the
career of Kevin
Spacey, an overwhelmingly
popular, talented, enigmatic,
and enduring method actor.
Although quite successful
in theater (e.g., his portrayal
of Uncle Louie in the Broadway
hit “Lost in Yonkers”
won... Read
more. |
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Note: All
film images are © and property of their
respective studios.
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(4.5/5)
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