Shadows in the Palace Shadows in the Palace
May
07
2006

Special Review

Posted by Todd Brown at 1:08pm.

Posted in Film & DVD Reviews , Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, USA & Canada.

special.jpg

Where to even begin with Special? An unconventional genre blender that absolutely defies easy classification Special is at once an incredibly realistic take on the super hero genre, a character study of a man descending into mental illness, and a blacker than pitch dark comedy.

Perennial supporting man Michael Rapaport steps into a rare lead role as Les, a solitary parking enforcement officer who volunteers for an experimental anti-depression drug trial. The drug, marketed under the brand name of Special, is designed to block the brain chemicals that trigger feelings of self doubt but it does far more than that for Les. Shortly after he begins taking it he gains the ability to fly; he becomes telepathic; he can walk through walls. A life long comic book fan Les takes this as a sign that he is called to life as a super hero and quits his job to focus purely on performing heroic acts. But it isn’t long before two strange men in suits and a limo begin following Les wherever he goes and the use of his powers seems to exact a physical toll …

  • Digg This
  • Stumble It!
  • Reddit
 

Reader Comments

  1. Kurt 05/07/2006 @ 4:01pm

    Ooooooo, that makes my day. Positively Superb trailer, and few actors whom I really really like, and a low-tech (i.e. fresh) take on a genre I’m partially burned out on.

    Nice. I’m so there.

  2. Adam Lopez 05/07/2006 @ 10:28pm

    I wanna see this!

  3. joeybrash 05/07/2006 @ 10:37pm

    how’d you get to see it?

  4. Pelle 05/08/2006 @ 2:55am

    The trailer was great, I can’t wait to see this.

  5. Todd 05/08/2006 @ 9:14am

    Joey: basically I just asked nicely and the producers sent me a screener. I have to send it back today, though ...

  6. joeybrash 05/08/2006 @ 9:24am

    durn, that’s great

  7. Plague 05/09/2006 @ 12:14pm

    Movies like this (and Primer, too) still give me faith that there are creative ideas out there and some people are willing to take a chance on them.

  8. Mike Hewitt 05/25/2006 @ 5:41am

    I’ve just heard that Revolver Entertainment (Tzameti, Grizzly Man) have picked up the UK rights to this film during Cannes.

    It sounds great - looking forward to seeing it…
    -----

Post Your Comments

You must be a registered member to post comments.

If you have a Twitch account, click here to sign in.

If you don't have a Twitch account, click here to register. Don't worry, it's free!

Launch The Twitch Video Player

Stuff We Like

Shop at our affiliated sites and support Twitch while feeding your pop-culture addiction.

Our Latest Film & DVD Reviews

More Film & DVD Reviews...

Our Latest Interviews

More Interviews...

Recent Contests & Featured Content