On Christmas Eve, after a robbery gone wrong, Gus, a petty criminal, kidnaps a couple at gunpoint. Unfortunately for him, he kidnaps his worst nightmare: A bickering, fighting, yelling, obnoxious married couple, who can't stand the sight of eachother.
"From now on, the only person who gets to yell is me. Why? Because I have a gun."
Pretty much from the onset on the film, we realize that Gus is not really a bad guy and that he wouldn't actually hurt anybody. We also realize that he may be just what Caroline and Lloyd, the couple Gus holds hostage, need. They've been at odds for years, and Gus manages to bring them together by making them see eachother's point of view.
This movie is funny, yet not in a stupid way. I feel that a lot of Christmas comedies get a bad wrap because, often, the humour is very immature. Not that that's always a bad thing, but, when a film revolves around adults, I believe the humour should reflect that, as The Ref does. Sure, there's still the occasional cheap shot, but, overall, this film is rather smart. And the faces that Kevin Spacey pulls throughout the film are hilarious; The Ref is worth watching for that, alone.
"The spirit of Christmas is either you're good or you're punished and you burn in hell."
Denis Leary is very good here as Gus, the thief, but the heart and soul of this movie are Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey. The are very funny and have a great chemistry. They make a fabulous onscreen couple. The rest of the cast are supporting players, and they all do a fine job in their respective roles.
The Ref is an unfairly overlooked Christmas flick that I think more people should see. It certainly brings a smile to my face, as I'm sure it would yours. 8/10
Trivia: Despite The Ref being set at Christmas time, the film was released in March of 1994. Perhaps this is why its performance at the box office was so dismal...
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