Special
Hal Haberman, Jeremy Passmore
USA | 2006 | 83mins | 35mm | Colour
A very select group of people in life are truly gifted. Special is a movie about everyone else.
Les Franken is a gentle and kind-hearted man who has a love for comic books. He leads a painfully unremarkable life as a parking ‘metermaid’ until he agrees to participate in a drug study for a new, experimental anti-depressant.
An unexpected side effect of the drug convinces Les he is developing special powers. Left with the dilemma of how he ought to utilise his new ‘powers’ for maximum effect, he decides to quit his job and assemble a home-made superhero suit. Hitting the streets to fight crime, he is intent on protecting the world from the forces of evil… unless those developing the drug can track him down and put an end to his superhero antics before too much damage is done.
A wry take on the notion of self-delusion and incisive on the ever-decreasing gulf between celebrities and the masses, this tale is an affectionate take on a seemingly ordinary life that becomes extraordinary. |
