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.

I love film noir type films. Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylized Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American film noir. I felt that in 2024 they did a good job of bringing this type of film back. I don't think a lot of the young generation will appreciate this film as much as the older generation will but I could be wrong. I give 8 out of 10. Definitely could improve many things in this film but this supposedly was made on a low budget with some HUGE talent which is another positive. Hope to watch this again soon at home.

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.

It was a very refreshing movie, a very witty mystery. It had the independent grit perfect for a neonoir! I would recommend this to those detective film buffs... if you like Orson Welles or even Brick. I also enjoyed the sound track it made me feel like i was in Los Angeles. Definitely haven't seen this kind of Arthouse film in a while and wish they would make more of these. Afterwards i looked up the cast and could not believe who acted in this movie, a lot of recognizable faces, its cool to see where people start and where people are. Lots of cool long shots and blocking and a scene that stood out was the cab driver scene, the chemistry between those two actors was epic!

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?