Reception
The Ref did not perform as well at the box office as Leary would have liked and he blamed the studio's method of marketing the film: "They did me like the MTV guy. And they shortchanged what the movie was all about". The film grossed only $11,439,193 in the domestic box office.
Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars and wrote, "material like this is only as good as the acting and writing. The Ref is skillful in both areas". Rolling Stone magazine's Peter Travers praised the performances of Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis: "They are combustibly funny, finding nuance even in nonsense. The script is crass; the actors never". In her review for The New York Times, Caryn James praised Leary's performance: "For the first time he displays his appeal and potential as an actor instead of a comic with a sneering persona". However, Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "C-" rating and Owen Gleiberman wrote, "The Ref is crushingly blunt-witted and monotonous in its celebration of domestic sadism". In his review for the Washington Post, Hal Hinson criticized Leary's performance: "A stand-up comic trying to translate his impatient, hipster editorializing to the big screen, he doesn't have the modulation of a trained actor, only one speed (fast) and one mode of attack (loud)".
The film received a 76% "fresh" rating on review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus: "Undeniably uneven and too dark for some, The Ref nonetheless boasts strong turns from Denis Leary, Judy Davis, and Kevin Spacey, as well as a sharply funny script."
American Film Institute recognition:
- AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs - Nominated
Read more about this topic: The Ref
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