Special (2008)

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Best movie ever!

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

It is indeed may not be a film for everyone, and does require a certain acquired taste when it comes to enjoying even small budget flicks. So don't go in expecting a blockbuster. In fact, I think even as far as low budgets go this one might be in its own category. i think the crew may actually had to pay to be in it.. Luckily that is where the list of negatives end, because as far as the acting and the plot are concerned, they're top notch. OK, so Michael Rappaport is not considered an "A" list actor ,but in this he definitely delivers one of his best performances to date. i thought this was one of the funniest movies i rented without knowing anything about it prior. (I don't think they actually spent a dime on advertising since i ve never heard of it before. ) I 'd hate to put spoilers in the review so i wont, because if you like low budget flicks, you really need to see it for yourself! Again, as long as you don't mind low tech sci fi! I think the only CGI might be during the opening credits...ps: I did give it a 9 for the acting and the originality.

This movie is a treasure. Michael Rapaport perfectly plays the part of the downtrodden protagonist Les, absolutely luring us in with his character's purity of heart. Without being gimmicky or vague, Haberman and Passmore's direction and writing achieve a complex balancing act in terms of what is really happening with Les. There is pathos, humor, and, ultimately, a tale that speaks to the underdog in each of us. Note the name of the lead character: Les, as in "less." Michael Rapaport has been around as an actor for a while now, but I can't say I've seen him in anything else. As Les in "Special" he has definitely made an outstanding first impression.

Do not waste your time watching this movie. Although it had a strong start, like at the very beginning when he starts to react to the pills, it was funny and it could have gone somewhere, but it didn't because there were too many holes in the story. I was watching it thinking, 'where the hell are the cops?' and 'why the hell didn't she call the cops?' and 'why the hell didn't his friends do anything to help him?' and 'why the hell are the guys in the suites doing their own dirty work?' The story could have been so much better, but it fell short. It saddens me that someone would take such a great concept and turn it into this. This movie left me feeling empty and wanting more. It left me with a lot of questions for the main character and the supporting actors. Not worth it.

Michael Rapaport really saves this movie. Without him it would be much less watchable. It has a very interesting story and it is very well executed in many ways, but has a lot of small missteps that detract from my ability to believe in it as a story.It's a story of a common, boring everyman (Rapaport) who enters a drug trial for an experimental drug that is supposed to remove people's self-doubt. On him, though, it goes too far, and he begins to believe that he has super powers. This part of the film is, for the most part, well-executed.However, a lot of little details don't ring true. I won't go through all of them, but early in the movie is one good example: A man goes into a comic book store and tries to sell a comic. We are supposed to believe he is homeless and desperate, but he doesn't look homeless. He has a long gray beard, yes, but he's dressed in clean clothes and his beard is meticulously groomed. It's like the director thought that a long beard was all you needed to look homeless.Additionally, this may sound like nit-picking, but the director's choice of music in some areas seems way off. A scene will look like it is trying to be dramatic and the music that is playing is some oddball high energy song. Sometimes this works well (like the ending of Dr. Strangelove) but in this case it just looks haphazard.Overall its worth a watch, but its unfortunate that the film makers couldn't go that extra step and make it a better film.