This week's pick is really a minor comedy. A slight film that I had gone so far as forgetting the name of until I saw it in this week's list. A film that is destined to be forgotten in the annals of film history. There is nothing revolutionary, or even particularly extraordinary, about it. So why did I choose it? I chose it because I was very much entertained by it when I witnessed it in theaters this past December.
This week's pick is none other than The Ringer. The movie was hilarious. It stars Johnny Knoxville as a guy who is down on his luck and in need of money, fast. He turns to his sleazy uncle (Brian Cox), who concocts a plan to fix the Special Olympics. Knoxville goes undercover as a mentally disabled young man, but finds the task to be a lot more difficult than had been expected. He is having trouble reconciling himself with cheating those who are truly disabled. Not to mention his budding affection for one of the workers there, played by Katherine Heigl.
What does make the movie standout is that the humor is never at the expense of the Special Olympians. All of the jokes and gags clearly make Knoxville their butt. This is the kind of movie that could have easily gone in the direction of bad taste. It was nice to see they did not take the easy route.
Another interesting aspect is Johnny Knoxville's career. I find it amazing that he has gone from former Jackass star to actually having an acting career, and not doing a terribly bad job of it. I am not making any claims of his acting ability, but it is interesting to watch his career develop. I have enjoyed his work, he has good comic timing and is generally convincing. I wish him the best.
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