La méthode zéro

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.

Bill Pullman is a very underrated actor, and this film he totally steals the show as the reclusive, quirky but 'greatest detective in the world', Daryl Zero. He certainly suited the part in Zero Effect!

Ben Stiller, Ryan O'Neal and Kim Dickens all provide great support in this different but interesting comedy. It had a very good story, some interesting social commentary and observation. Not quite a thriller but for its acute observation, realistic characters and storyline, Ill give this a ***1/2 out of *****!!!

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.

As soon as the "Zero Effect" finished, my wife and I turned to each other and said, "that's one of the best movies we've seen." Bill Pullman shows why he is one of the best, if often overlooked, actors. He plays the very private detective Daryl Zero who is uncannily insightful on the job, but otherwise is a mess. We laughed so hard at times that we had tears in our eyes. And it isn't just funny - there is a very well-woven story involving murder and blackmail.

For its cleerness, acting, story, and directing, I give it a solid "9" of "10", and one of my all-time favorites.

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 !