User Reviews

There is something undeniably sad about Keno Argyle as he floats in and out of his condemned apartment and in and out of reality...not your everyday private eye, Keno's not the hero of your everyday movie. L.A. is a mess. The entire city seems to be rat-infested and smogged to the max as this clueless private eye investigates his partner's disappearance. Keno's trip to Olvera Street borders on the insane with his diet a close match. When sexy Miss Hedda McGill shows up unannounced, Keno seems less interested in her charms than in a cookbook that his missing partner has written. I highly recommend this most unusual film. It ignores the limitations of what must have been a very low budget and makes for great entertainment. Witty and loaded with a rich knowledge of the noir genre and mystery movies in general, it plays a mind game on many levels from start to finish. Dig the references on the pier to Orson Welles' TOUCH OF EVIL, as homicide cop, Blume, barks out orders for a midnight snack to his diminutive side-kick, Quinlan. Line up the references to CHINATOWN when Keno discovers somebody tearing up Los Angeles brick by brick. Keno seems to be living on French fries and bottled water. Maybe that's his problem? Maybe not. The story, such as it is, leads this private eye from downtown to Malibu and back again, and the wrap-up is beyond belief crazed, lovingly referring to a laundry list of iconic movie titles that spell trouble. Harry Monument may be dead in a pile of fried potatoes, but his partner will be the last to admit it. Cheeseburgers aside, the plot of this madcap movie walks the fine line between the best and the worst in a life of crime without a net, adding yet another memorable set of characters to the noir tradition.

I saw this movie at its world premiere in Langley, WA and was amazed. The striking motifs and masterful story telling only complement the script, which is nothing short of amazing. Evans has really struck a cord with the story of a struggling detective and his glorious redemption; but there's much more than that.

All the performances are top notch, the leads nail their performances with an ironic essence that is perfectly suited to the movie's splendid Southern California setting. The stand out in this Caesar Salad of excellence is Jim Scullin who plays Quinlan, Jolly Blume's assistant, gives his mute character an underlying uncertainty masked by his tough-guy persona.

The plot is deceptively simple, it concerns a washed out detective's redemption via a femme fatal and a sinister Chinaman. Harry Monument is found dead in a park and covered with french fries. Jolly Blume, the police detective assigned to the case suspects Harry's partner,Keno Argile, played by Dave Draper. Argile is a detective who is and has been washed up for a long time. The apartment building that he lives in is being foreclosed upon and his possessions are being removed from his apartment daily. This is an important symbolic point in the film representing Keno's slow deterioration, his mind fading away piece by piece. After this Keno is approached by a nameless femme fatal who thinks she knows who killed Harry.

After this pivotal twist Keno starts to change, he is more alert and is determined to find his partner's killer. The plot contains many more wrenching twists, including a shock involving Mexican midgets and bricks, lots of bricks.

The end is what you would expect from such a masterpiece; Harry's killer is revealed in an unconventional manner which will knock you off your feet. Evans also infuses an important symbol into this tour de force showing us Keno's pained expression after he discovers the truth; a sign that he will spiral into madness.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a highly intellectual journey; seen through the pained eyes of a pained man. I would say that Evans has reached a peak with this tour de force of modern cinema.