Shot for pennies -- a cash limitation that benefits the production's creativity and credibility -- this haunting film keeps shifting the ground under our feet
Comment
11/21/08
Special (2008)
55
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:29
Fresh:16
Rotten:13
Average Rating:5.6/10
Consensus: This quirky indie comedy's low budget is readily apparent, but it's elevated by Michael Rapaport's dedicated performance.
Synopsis: Les Franken (MICHAEL RAPAPORT) is a kind-hearted and soft-spoken man who loves reading comic books. He’s the type of guy who most people walk by on the street without even noticing; in essence,... [More]
Starring: Michael Rapaport, Paul Blackthorne, Josh Peck, Robert Baker
Director: Hal Haberman, Jeremy Passmore
Reviews for Special
I just thought it was a cool indie film with a great leading performance from an actor we don’t usually get to see in a lead.
11/24/08
It may not be perfect, but this under-the-radar indie from Hal Haberman and Jeremy Passmore is smart enough to leave you glad you found it.
11/21/08
A great genre film dissects authentic problems without attempting to supplant them. Reasonably enough, Special belongs to that category with the rest of Magnet’s Six Shooter Series.
11/20/08
A beautiful metaphor for the desperate need to be important in a world where we rarely make personal connections any more, Special deserves to be seen.
11/21/08
A good narrative feature with elements of comedy and drama, giving character actor Michael Rapaport a chance to really shine in a complex lead role.
01/24/07
Genuinely original in parts but this works as a comedy only in places.
03/07/07
Top CriticTake[s] a page from the cartoonist Bill Watterson, who noted of the tiger protagonist in his great Calvin & Hobbes, 'The nature of [the character's] reality doesn't interest me, and each story goes out of its way to avoid resolving the issue.'
11/21/08
Enjoyable comedy drama with a clever premise, some hilarious gags and a great performance from Rapaport.
11/16/06
No review available.
01/03/09
Prankster moviemaking about a superhero duel with p-harm-aceutical barons, certain to make the deadly warnings whispered in all those gleeful drug commercials flooding TV sets across America, to never sound quite the same again.
11/14/08
With the often uproarious and always poignant comedy Special, co-screenwriters and directors Jeremy Passmore and Hal Haberman have created a moving and pertinent parable for our medicated times.
01/26/06
A surprisingly engaging, provocative little film that's hard to get out of your head.
10/01/06
Its ambitions are limited -- though at 81 minutes, wisely proportioned -- but its heart is in the right place.
11/20/08
Those who call themselves fans of the Rapaport are in for a huge treat, because the veteran character actor delivers one of the strongest performances of his career.
01/30/06
Special works as an honest portrait of little people with big dreams even if it remains itself a little movie without a big impact.
11/26/08
Rappaport's befuddled sincerity has never registered so poignantly, but given its singular premise, for the film to waste an easy opportunity to satirize vigilante do-goodery and pharmaceutical dependence is, well, villainous.
11/19/08
Thanks to Rapaport's brio in embracing the hero's drug-induced delusions, the movie is less a failure than a noble experiment gone awry.
11/20/08
The premise is intriguing, and the film is occasionally amusing, but it feels stuck between a completely satirical farce and an aching drama.
11/24/08
Special offers a unique spin on the superhero template but rarely soars beyond its sly premise.
03/31/09
Latest News for Special
November 27, 2008:
Prankster moviemaking about a superhero duel with p-harm-aceutical barons, certain to make the deadly warnings whispered in all those gleeful drug commercials flooding TV sets across America, to never sound quite the same again. 
More...
November 14, 2008:
Prankster moviemaking about a superhero duel with p-harm-aceutical barons, certain to make the deadly warnings whispered in all those gleeful drug commercials flooding TV sets across America, to never sound quite the same again.
More...
November 03, 2008:
Trailer & Poster review
More...
January 26, 2006:
SUNDANCE: Weinberg's Sundance Scorecard
With Senh, Jen, and Terrible Tim Ryan roaming the streets of Park City, the Tomato readers have had plenty of Sundance reports to pick through. But I thought I'd contribute my... More...
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