Zero Effect 1998
I don’t know how long this movie was out but it is now out on video. I guess it didn’t make much of a trailer because it’s really too involved. But that works to the advantage of anyone watching it now. The less you know about this movie, the better. I picked it up at the video store based on the fact that it stars Bill Pullman and Ben Stiller, got 2 thumbs up (which I agree is, by itself, meaningless), and had some pretty decent reviews on the back. The detective plot seemed not horrible. But I knew nothing at all about the movie.
I won’t tell you anything either except that this is really a good movie right from the opening. This movie is hard to classify but it is funny, bizarre, romantic, and intriguing all at about the same time. It falls somewhere in between Sherlock Holmes and Fletch. But it does the Sherlock Holmes without being tired and it does Fletch without being goofy.
I have no idea why this movie didn’t do any better. Perhaps because Pullman and Stiller aren’t big draws by themselves and there wasn’t a lot of action, stunts, explosions, or one-liners. Unlike Get Shorty, which was at least similar, there was no John Travolta or groovy soundtrack (the soundtrack is just fine, but not anything you’ve heard before). Like I say, the people making a trailer (trailor?) for this movie must have had a horrible time balancing what not to uncover but still try to give a sense of the movie.
Pick this one up. It’s rated R but there’s no nudity, the language is reasonably mild, and essentially no violence (one graphic photograph, maybe to give it an R so it will be taken seriously?).
7 out of 10
Written: 27 Aug 1998
Owned on: DVD, Digital