“Special” is Not Your Typical Movie

The DVD cover of the film “Special” is incredibly misleading. It cites the main character as “not your ordinary hero” and the motion picture as “laugh out loud funny.” While the two claims are true, the movie proven to be a whole lot more than the atypical hero in a comedic role.

The first half of the film is quite hilarious. Meter-maid Les Franken (Michael Rapaport) submits himself into an experimental drug study. Les is neither excited nor particularly depressed about his place in life. Though his mundane daily routine slowly eats away at him, he isn’t about to jump off a bridge.

Les is a comic book enthusiast. He loves reading comic books and seeing life as it would be from the eyes of someone that is great. He was very excited when he thought that he was gaining super powers, or unlocking them, because of the pills he was taking in the drug test.

Les has a check up with the research doctor. He tries to demonstrate how he can hover with his mind, but cannot. He says that he must be nervous and then gets on the desk to jump off. It appears Les has caught himself in the air and is suspended inches from the ground, but another angle shows that he is on the ground, making movements as though he were airborne.

The second half of the film takes a very emotionally intense turn. Rapaport proves himself to be a very talented actor, as he seamlessly rides the roller coaster of emotion that Les goes through during his doubt of himself and those around him.

Famous for his role in Nickelodeon’s “Drake and Josh,” Josh Peck is Joey, the younger brother of Les’s friend Jonas (Paul Blackthorne). Peck played Joey similarly to his character in “Drake and Josh.” He was the kind-hearted brother of a comic book store owner that bought dirty comic books off of people that the store could not resell. It was the role I would expect to see him in, unlike some of his other roles in “Mean Creek” and “The Wackness.”

The movie, written and co-directed by USC grad Jeremy Passmore, had a low-budget feel to it. “Special” was created in less than 18 months, which is unapparent while viewing. The soundtrack is nothing flashy and hardly noticeable. Parts of the film might even be better without music at all because the selection was a bit dull.

Overall, I was quite impressed with the film. It is not the typical role I would expect Rapaport to take on, but he was actually the glue that held the plot together. The acting was good across the board, but Rapaport was the stand-out actor. His portrayal of confusion, doubt and fear were convincing and true to life, sometimes making me want to believe his character’s claims were true.

The surprising acting jobs and strange plot twists kept me interested throughout the entire film. At only a bit under an hour and a half, it is definitely a must-see.