91Èȱ¬

A captivating and darkly comic riff on our relationships with our heroes and our medicine cabinets, Special lives up to its label. Michael Rapaport plays Len Franken, a comics-obsessed traffic warden who takes part in a drug trial for a new antidepressant which "inhibits the brain chemical responsible for self-doubt". Len finds himself imbued with superpowers - or so he thinks - and to the horror of his friends, takes on the role of a vigilante superhero.

All of which causes much consternation for Jack Kehler's nervous doctor, whose drug trial isn't strictly legal, and whose shady financial backers soon want Len off the streets, and the local news. In Len's psychotic world though, these "Suits" are his arch-nemeses, with whom he must do battle to keep those streets "safe". Believing himself to be indestructible, Len is wincingly unaware of the increasing toll his efforts are taking on his body. The ensuing stunts feel as wonderfully compulsive as the crash sections of skateboarding videos.

"PLENTY OF OUT-LOUD LAUGHS"

Rapaport is stunning – a more committed performance would be hard to imagine – not only in the physical battering he deals himself, but also in the intensity and pathos he generates. First-time filmmakers Haberman and Passmore opt for sincerity over broad comedy - though there are still plenty of out-loud laughs to be had. They clearly enjoy toying with the mythology and visual language of comicbooks – and ultimately, pose a slyly inspiring question – what is it that stops all of us from becoming heroes?