La méthode zéro

I used to work in a video store in the olden days, and this movie was a little known gem that I used to recommend to customers. I just rewatched it for the first time in a long, long time, and it still holds up.

is whether it can withstand a subsequent viewing. Zero Efect does. The only tragedy concerning this uniquely styled mystery will be if its Director (Jake Kasden) and scriptwriters never produce a sequel.

In TV reviews this film is accurately billed as a - wickedly quirky detective comedy thriller. It is safe to say the old cliché they-don't-make-them-like-that-anymore applies, and in truth, they probably never made them like this beforehand either! The one resemblance to other filmmakers work is that there is a Coen-esquire; vibe to it. A true compliment indeed.

Usually, American movies often high on gloss, glitter and noise lack the essential ingredient that compels viewers to become completely engrossed: that of depth. Or more precisely, the hook is depth and complexity. Here, offbeat quirkiness provides the humour. A non-format story pans out to provide novelty. A moderately paced detective story throws up one surprising twist after another, backed musically where appropriate to support the flawlessly acted evolution of an ever-deepening plot. All of which combine to unravel a charming, cogent mystery.

The problem this finely balanced inventive film creates is that by comparison it brings home the paucity of run-of-the-mill who-dun-its. Given the summary above Zero Effect, and films of this ilk, may prove more suited to European than American audiences. Films that make the viewer do some work ultimately tend to be the most absorbing and successful (e.g. recall - The Usual Suspects).

The five central characters each achieve the professional actors quest of being thoroughly and seamlessly believable, subtly injecting humour, pathos, unpredictability and sensitivity. You can easily empathise with them as their characterisations play out. Kasden's film excels as what must be the definitive comical mystery in all respects, perhaps setting the benchmark for future detective films to surpass.

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I loved ZERO EFFECT and would heartily recommend the film to anyone who enjoys a great story told with great style and wit. Jake Kasdan is in his early 20's and has written and directed a wonderful film that belies his age and relative inexperience. I take my hat off to him. On this evidence he is a major talent and I can't wait to see what he does next.

When I heard about the plot of ZERO EFFECT, the story of an eccentric and reclusive, private detective and that this part would be played by Bill Pullman, I was sold on the film immediately. Bill Pullman is a wonderful actor who I admire greatly and is always a joy to watch on screen. The part of Daryl Zero is a very tricky one and very few actors could pull it off, but Bill was simply brilliant. The scene where we hear Daryl playing his guitar and singing a song but don't actually see him for about three minutes was perhaps the most wonderful introduction of a character I've seen in any film.

Ben Stiller provides sterling support as Daryl's right hand man and Ryan O'Neal (nice to see him again) and Kim Dickens are also terrific.

There are so many great lines in the film, particularly those where Daryl is explaining his methods of deduction and surveillance. His explanation of the best way to follow someone is priceless, as is his explanation on how to find things !

This film is a pure joy and very refreshing. Go see it !

There is one thing that makes this film special and that is the persona of Daryl Zero. He is played in a spectacular way by Bill Pullman, who makes the script take life, making simple lines sound really funny and interesting!

Guy Ritchie probably copied a great many things from this film and from the way Pullman plays Daryl Zero in his Sherlock films with RDJ.

So yes, this is a film Sherlock-style with a detective and a sidekick investigating a case.

The dialogues are strong, the acting is strong by all the leads, the music score is very nice, and its definitely one of the 90s films that you will enjoy watching nowadays.

I have to say that I was surprised by Pullman; i had no idea he can act like that (judging him only from independence day and other mainstream films).

In this film he had an opportunity to make this character one of the coolest cinematic detectives I have seen.

Kudos to Jake Kasdan for directing and writing; this is solid film-making.

You can tell the enthusiasm in making this film by the camerawork, props, editing and ofcourse the delivery of the lines and the acting; all the actors are giving their best (and Ben Stiller is toned down to a normal person here...).

Highly recommended if you are looking to see something cool and funny. 9/10.

Excellent story and dialog. Certainly underrated. The film has great performances by Bill Pullman and Kim Dickens, as well as Ben Stiller. This one seems to have gone unnoticed by most people, but it was clever and entertaining. The plot moves and has plenty of twists, but the plot twists are not what makes the film great. The characters and their development are what make this movie unique. Daryl Zero is one of the most memorable private detectives I have ever seen and his relationship with Gloria Sullivan (Kim Dickens) is well developed. Daryl's sidekick, Ben Stiller, is interesting too as his loyalties are tested throughout the film. At first it is difficult to determine how astute Daryl is--is he really the "most observant" person in the world? Or is he a bumbling fake? As the story develops, you see how adept Daryl Zero is. Even the soundtrack is good with a great song by Nick Cave.