Review

Sporting a wit as nasty and as big as its star Leary's devil-may-care grin, The Ref is a refreshingly funny and resourceful slant on Desperate Hours-type films. Leary stars as a hapless thief whose botched Christmas Eve burglary puts him on the run. He kidnaps bickering married couple Davis and Spacey and hides out in their not-so-sweet home. However, nothing this streetwise criminal has seen in or out of prison can prepare him for the fireworks which erupt when the feuding husband and wife go at it. The characters may be in a near-constant state of screeching, but fortunately most of the wickedly delightful dialogue is worth hearing. The performances from the three leads are as energetic as they are funny, and Johns is just right as the mother-in-law you love to hate.