Rating: 
Summary: My Favorie Movie
Review: This is my favorite movie...About a Good Heist gone bad..It all starts on Christmas Eve when Gus is pullin a robbery in a small town and hijacks Caroline and her husband in a grocery store..He goes home witht them where they are about to have a hair raising family dinner....This is a must see...There is a lot of Cursing in the movie..but that is what makes it so funny..
Rating:
Summary: A **MUST SEE** Comedy
Review: I don't know how this movie wasn't a blockbuster chart-topper. It definately didn't get the recognition it deserved. The Ref is a hysterically funny flick with brilliant preformances by Dennis Leary and Kevin Spacey. I won't write a whole review because that's already been done. But I insist you see this movie. It's a laugh a minute!
Rating:
Summary: SO Funny, SO Well Performed, Among The Best of Comedies
Review: Truly one of the funniest, most truthful, most rewarding, most emotionally real, and most durable comedies I have ever seen. The wit is top notch, the situations outrageous and funny, and the emotions real. The only detraction from Kevin Spacey's Academy Award winning "American Beauty" performance for me was that I felt like he had already pulled it off here, several years earlier, in this under-appreciated early effort, The Ref. Having recognized him from "Dad" and "See No Evil, Hear No Evil," this was the film that I first admired him in and that really typified his abilities for me while he was gaining recognition in so many other great roles. Judy Davis also has a role here that parallels, in some ways though certainly not all, that of Annette Bening in "American Beauty." Davis here gives a spectacular performance that easily rivals Bening's in truth and outshines it in humor. Christine Baranski is outrageously funny and at the top of her snob schtick, Glynis Johns (I hope I am spelling her name right) is wonderful in the role of mother/grandmother from hell. Particularly delightful about this performance is its serving as an anti-thetical counterpart to her silly and lovable grandmother in "While You Were Sleeping." In the one role she is absolutely adorable, in the other absolutely detestable, and in both she is marvelous and funny. Last but not least, Denis Leary is immensely funnier than in any of the other things I've seen him do, be they stand up routines or films. This role showcases his comedic niche and capabilities perfectly. Finally, the story is so funny, so truthful, and even (STOP READING THIS PARAGRAPH RIGHT NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT THE ENDING RUINED) manages to pull off an emotionally convincing happy ending, something seemingly so rare, yet so welcome in a time of so many unhappily ending marriages. Also with respect to the characters and the ending, although I truly appreciated "American Beauty" and did see some of the beauty in it, at the end it made me feel like I needed to take a shower. This movie is similarly poignant but without all the slime. The trade off is that this movie deals with nowhere near the range of complexities of emotion as "American Beauty" but without them can give more focused attention to the specific issues of divorce and achieve a sense of optimism about their resolution that is worth revisiting again and again. It is nice every now and then to see models of how things should go amidst all the examples of how they do not, be they in life or realistic film. A movie at least for the children of divorce (of which I am one) and likely also for the divorced and those nearing it. I cannot recommend highly enough that this great film be given more attention and more credit.
Rating:
Summary: Buy This Movie!!!!
Review: I have a toddler son and very little time to sit down and watch an entire movie. EXCEPT for The Ref. TBS shows this movie a lot, for which I am eternally grateful. Even with the "choice" language suctioned out, I still have to put my head between my knees to keep from passing out due to laughter everytime I see this movie. This movie is the film equivelant of a good shot of Bushmill's whiskey: strong and dry, the humor evaporates on your tongue and leaves you wanting more. Denis Leary is a cat burglar who kidnaps a bickering couple (Kevin Spacey and Judi Davis) to help him escape the cops after a bungled burglary. Little does he know that he has the couple from hell as his hostages... Other reviewers have done a great job explaining the plot, so I won't repeat. This could have easily veered off into stale stereotypes that would bring enough chuckles to not be a complete disaster, but not the home run that it is. Leary, Spacey, Davis, etc. (not to mention Ted Demme, the director), however, conspire to make this a slyly intelligent comedy, with subtle hilarious comments on marriage, in-laws, suburbia, parenthood, good and evil, and all the other grown-up dilemmas that most everyone deals with. I own approximately 5 videos of my own (3 of them are workout videos), and would gladly pay full price to replace my copy of The Ref if need be. This movie is inexplicably not on most reviewer's "Best of..." lists for reasons that escape me. Shame on them! Again, I cannot urge you strongly enough to buy this video. Without a doubt, this is Denis Leary's finest hour as a comedic actor.
Rating:
Summary: Leary is forgiven here!
Review: I'm meaning that this movie made me forgive him for his role in Judgement Night. Not that it was bad acting (it wasn't), just that it was a comedian in a vicious, heartless, bad guy role, and worse yet, the first movie I ever saw Leary in. I would come to love this movie, and would rent it many a time before finally finding it for sale. I cannot wait for this to hit DVD! This movie is awesome. Go Leary Go!
Rating:
Summary: The most underrated film ever made......
Review: Well, i'm going to make this short and sweet. Kevin Spacey and Denis Leary contained in one film, nevertheless a comedy, is a movie-goers dream too good to be true. But it was pulled off. This movie is so hilarious. Kevin is playing one of his usual roles here but what he does he does so well. All the character seem to play into the plotlines great. Denis Leary proves again in this movie why he is the most hilarious comedian ever. He just gets more and more rampant and off the wall as time progresses. All in all, good movie, great dialogue, fun torent...A++, 5 stars . . . get this movie!
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious!
Review: I first saw this on the TNT Superstation or something, and I ended up watching it until it was over (12AM) on a school night. My mom and I were cracking up so much because it's a really comedic movie, it's not like a stupid funny one either. If only it were on DVD, that's when i wouldn't have to rewind it!!
Rating:
Summary: The Ref is hysterical, funny, heartwarming...
Review: In the sharp style of SCENES FROM A MALL (1991), The Ref delivers those very dry, keen and smart jokes to it's audience non-stop. This movie, starring Denis Leary, Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey and the extraordinary Christine Baranski will have you on the floor from the very opening sequence. Bickering suburb couple Lloyd and Carolyn have each other neck and neck throughout the whole entire movie, even during a marriage counseling scene! When a robber takes them hostage, he becomes the dividing line of truth in their troubles. This is where the title "Ref" comes into play. But the most hilarious of scenes, is the Christmas Eve dinner party: when the whole family comes to eat. Christine Baranski shines here and from then on... Take home THE REF and SCENES FROM A MALL if you're looking for good holiday movie fun!
Rating:
Summary: Greatest Movie Ever!
Review: Hey, all of you people out there that have not seen it, and if your a big Denis Leary fan like myself, then you'll love this movie. Its about a theif who gets messed up during a robbery and..... well just buy it. Or rent it
Rating:
Summary: Hilarious and perfect for the holidays too!
Review: This is one of my all-time favorite movies! It's Christmas eve, there's a thief on the loose and being chased. He finds an incredibly disfunctional family to hold hostage and hide in the home of. Caroline and Loyd can't spend two minutes together without screaming at each other; it's so bad they're on therapy. Then Loyd's brother Gary, his wife Connie, his unbelievably loud-mouthed mother Rose, and Connie's two obnoxious kids come over for dinner, and Gus-the thief-has to pretend to be a marriage doctor! The family's constant fighting is simply hysterical, and Gus's drunk partner "Waste of Life" Murray is so pathetic it's truly funny. This movie is chock full of humor and holiday spirit, but watch out, there's a lot of swearing. I HIGHLY recommend it!!!
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