"Zero Effect" is one of the best comedies of the 90s, and yet a lot of people don't even classify it as a comedy. In fact, in the video store at which I work, it is at the very end of the Mystery/Suspense section. This is probably because not only is the film hilarious, but it also contains a brilliantly crafted mystery. I don't know what happened to this film in its theatrical release, but I'm sure that it's one of the best films of recent years that most people have never heard of.
Bill Pullman ("Independence Day," "While You Were Sleeping," "Malice") plays Darryl Zero, the world's greats private eye. Even though he is the best there is at solving crimes, most of his work is done through his assistant, Steve Arlo, played by Ben Stiller ("There's Something About Mary," "Flirting with Disaster," "Your Friends and Neighbors"). Zero's case in the film is that of finding keys belonging to Gregory Stark, played by Ryan O'Neal ("Barry Lyndon"), a rich business tycoon who is obviously hiding a secret about the keys. I won't reveal any more of the plot to you, just know that it is brilliantly contrived and complicated, but not too difficult to follow.
Bill Pullman and Ben Stiller, two very good actors in most everything they do, both turn in the best performances of their respective careers. From the first scene on, they completely become the characters they are playing. In fact, I've read that the role of Zero was written specifically for Pullman, and it certainly shows. The best part of the film is the always hilarious and perfectly written dialogue between Pullman and Stiller as Pullman directs Stiller and the audience in his methods of deduction, his ways of finding lost objects, and much more.
I am rarely a fan of comedy - in fact I can only think of a few pure comedies from the past decade that I can recommend. "Something About Mary," "Clerks," "Chasing Amy," and "Dumb and Dumber" are the only ones from the last 10 years that I can think of to definitely recommend. Perhaps why I like "Zero Effect" so much is that not only is it a great comedy, but it is so much more with it's excellent mystery plot.
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