The Private Eye

Greetings again from the darkness. Robin Williams. Richard Pryor. Jim Carrey. Michael Keaton. Whoopi Goldberg. That's just a few of the stand-up comedians who successfully transitioned to acting in movies. While it seems like a natural next step, there have been even more for whom the transition simply didn't work, although a TV series seems to be a worthwhile fallback for most. Matt Rife becomes the latest to take the leap from late night comedy club gigs to the silver screen. As an internet sensation, Mr. Rife has a built-in following, despite the recent backlash over his poor choice of jokes.

What he doesn't have, or at least doesn't show here, is the acting talent to carry a movie. He certainly looks the part, and the role seems to offer the opportunity to flash his chops, however his scenes mostly fall flat. Writer-director Jack Cook and co-writers Hope Ayiyi and Rosalinda Books have latched onto a favorite Hollywood genre, which the title too obviously identifies. Rife, as Mort Madison, dons the fedora hat, a trench coat, and lights a cigarette to ensure we viewers are in full gumshoe mode.

Mort is struggling. His client list consists only of a young neighborhood boy whose pet has run away. Desperately in need of money, he tells the boy to bring his piggy bank, and then turns back into his pig sty of a filthy apartment. Filmmaker Cook keeps us in black and white until "the dame" shows up. Transitioning to color, we note his new client, Michelle (Clare Grant), not only is dressed in red, but she also offers Mort a retainer for her case. Of course, there is an attraction between the two, yet Mort always seems a step behind, especially for a detective. It's clear, something isn't right with him.

His flashbacks take him to his solving a string of video store robberies, and even this is followed later by a scene that telegraphs what's happening. There is even a scene where Matt slips and falls in the shower. When he regains consciousness, the water is no longer running. We correctly assume this isn't a clue, but rather a flaw. The next key player here is David (played by Elliott), Michelle's psycho-therapist friend who also seems out of step with the story and movie.

I don't enjoy negative criticism towards the work of others, so I'll add a bit of the bright side. We get Eric Roberts as the film's narrator, and he later shows up as a character who crosses paths with Mort. It seems this was meant to trick us, but any twists that might have looked good on paper, never really click on the screen, and certainly don't surprise. There is (finally) a humorous scene featuring Erik Griffin as taxi driver, Crazy Carl. Griffin gets the film's best line as he brandishes a pistol, telling Mort, "I already cocked it. I gotta shoot somebody." A few other attempts at humor just don't work, and it proves that one "touché" per film is sufficient. The film is easily 30 minutes longer than necessary, and we can only hope this has been a learning experience for all involved, and improvement will be seen in their next projects.

In theaters beginning February 9, 2024.

This movie was a gritty awesome work of art. It had a slow pace but if you get it you get it! It also had a unique humor that i have not seen in a long time... was not slap stick... more sophisticated.

The acting was great did not know Matt Rife could act! After watching The Private Eye I looked up, found out Matt Rife has done since acting and has a new movie coming out soon, Rolling Loud... can't wait to see this... And i always love seeing Eric Roberts, that last scene with Eric cracked me up! I was so curious about the lead female intentions and even the twist was revealed it blew me away.

This movie is fire the FILM lovers!!!

I am a big Matt Rife fan and heard about the film and went to go see it., I was impressed with Matt's acting skills as well as the rest of this cast.

I read the other reviews and agree with what they had to say.

I heard this was one of 20 something movies that were completed during the toughest times of the covid pandemic.

Hats off and cheers to the cast and crew for completing this project overcoming various obstacles.

There was some great mystery and some really funny humor in the film. I felt the love scenes were too much. But hey, if you want to see Matt Rife make out to a beautiful woman Clare Grant or another singer/actress Lexy Panterra this is the flick! LOL Spoiler alert.

Looking forward to watching this in future again if and when it comes to streaming? Has anybody heard about that?

Brilliant movie - I haven't seen a good movie in a while but this was great. The director did an amazing job. Character and plot development were great and it felt like a Jay and Silent Bob with a little Tarantino. If you haven't watched this go watch it. Matt Riffe also did a wonderful job. He really impressed me and he still brought his comedy.

Brilliant movie - I haven't seen a good movie in a while but this was great. The director did an amazing job. Character and plot development were great and it felt like a Jay and Silent Bob with a little Tarantino. If you haven't watched this go watch it. Matt Riffe also did a wonderful job. He really impressed me and he still brought his comedy.

I didn't know what to expect going into this one. I'm a big fan of film noir films. I felt the film could have been a little shorter but nonetheless it was good. Very interesting story! I enjoyed the ride which had moments of humor, mystery, and entertainment. Plenty of laughs and many surprises in the film. Some good plot twists. Curious what is next for this young and upcoming filmmakers?

Buckle your seat beat for a wild and hilarious ride with Mort Madison as he tackles his most unusual case yet in "The Private Eye." With Jack Cook at the helm and a talented cast bringing the story to life, this film noir is sure to leave audiences wondering what is happening and laughing out loud and craving more.