FILMGAZM PRODUCTIONS
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • ACTION
    • BIOPIC
    • COMEDY
    • CRIME
    • DRAMA
    • FAMILY
    • FANTASY
    • HORROR
    • MUSICAL
    • SCI-FI
    • SPORT
    • WAR
    • WESTERN
  • PODCASTS
    • THE FILMGAZM PODCAST
    • BEYOND THE BAD
    • FAKE TRUE STORIES
    • FILMGAZM CLASSIC
    • OSCAR SUNDAY
    • THE SNEAK PREVIEW
  • Articles
  • Hall of 10's
    • CONNOR'S HALL
    • CALEB'S HALL
    • AUSTIN'S HALL
    • JOSH'S HALL
  • Trailers
  • Meet the Team
  • In Memoriam
  • Ratings
Picture
A burglar takes a family hostage so he can lay low, only to end
​up playing marriage counselor to a seriously dysfunctional family.
COMEDY

The Ref (1994)

Directed by Ted Demme

Written by Richard LaGravenese and Marie Weiss

Starring Denis Leary, Kevin Spacey, Judy Davis, Glynis Johns, Raymond J. Barry, Christine Baranski, Adam LeFevre,
​Robert J. Steinmiller Jr., Richard Bright, J.K. Simmons

Connor Eyzaguirre
December 4, 2020
8/10
Christmas is the most wonderful time of year for most of us. For some, it's a time when we have to deal with family we try to avoid the rest of the year. The Ref is the ultimate worst case scenario for that situation, and it's one of the funniest Christmas comedies I've seen in years. I love a good R-rated comedy, and with rant-heavy comedian Denis Leary in the lead as a burglar trapped in a corner with the most obnoxiously argumentative couple in history, how could you go wrong?

Gus (Leary) has a problem. The house he was gonna rob set him up, and now he's wanted for burglary. He takes a couple hostage to lay low, and quickly realizes that Lloyd (Spacey) and Caroline (Davis) are fucking crazy. They have an unstable relationship mostly due to Lloyd's overbearing, rich mother (Johns), and their entire extended family is coming over for Christmas Eve. Gus improvises and poses as their marriage counselor to get through the night, which just leads to more and more disaster. The performances are stellar and the script is fire. I'm sure there was probably a lot of improvisation going on for the insults, and the final product is a great Christmas comedy that I will be adding to my yearly rotation.

I'm surprised The Ref isn't counted among the Christmas movie greats. I was laughing my ass off the entire time. It speaks to anyone with irritating relatives, which I'm pretty sure is almost all of us. Gus is an oddly likable burglar, mostly because everyone around him is certifiable and filled to the brim with emotional problems. Definitely check this one out. It's funny as hell.

Mission Statement

Filmgazm is made by movie lovers for movie lovers. We believe in the magic of film and we aim celebrate films of all genres and throughout cinema history, regardless of who's behind the camera or who financed it. We at Filmgazm believe that every film deserves to be reviewed on its own merits and that's what we are here to do. Enjoy the show!
DISCLAIMER - Filmgazm does not own nor do we pretend to own any posters, artwork, or trailers on this site. We mean only to review
​and discuss movies. All trademarks are the property of the respective trademark owners.
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Reviews
    • ACTION
    • BIOPIC
    • COMEDY
    • CRIME
    • DRAMA
    • FAMILY
    • FANTASY
    • HORROR
    • MUSICAL
    • SCI-FI
    • SPORT
    • WAR
    • WESTERN
  • PODCASTS
    • THE FILMGAZM PODCAST
    • BEYOND THE BAD
    • FAKE TRUE STORIES
    • FILMGAZM CLASSIC
    • OSCAR SUNDAY
    • THE SNEAK PREVIEW
  • Articles
  • Hall of 10's
    • CONNOR'S HALL
    • CALEB'S HALL
    • AUSTIN'S HALL
    • JOSH'S HALL
  • Trailers
  • Meet the Team
  • In Memoriam
  • Ratings