Special

Michael Rapaport may ring bells from his small appearances in big films, usually playing Noo Yoik hoodlums (he stole Small Time Crooks), but in low budget flick Special he gets the opportunity of a lead role on the other side of the fight against crime. As a meter maid, Les is a pushover, despite the motivational talks of his exasperated boss, but his involvement in a sinister clinical drug trial soon convinces Les he is not so powerless. Rather than playing it just for laughs, Special goes for Taxi Driver-like unease, set in the artificially-lit interiors and exteriors of a city that manages to be familiar through it's unreality. You'll quickly gather that Les' new superpowers are not all they may appear, but it's the style, charm and sheer bizarreness of this film that keeps you watching. Overlooked on its brief theatrical release, a cult following is sure to welcome it on DVD. [Alec McLeod]