Movie Loner

Before he became the king of awful screwball comedies, Ben Stiller chose interesting roles. Flirting with Disaster, Your Friends & Neighbors, and The Royal Tenenbaums to name a few. Instead of playing dodgeball and voicing cartoons, Stiller actually carved-out original comedic characters. One of his best is in Zero Effect, a hidden gem of a movie starring Bill Pullman.

Stiller plays Steve Arlo, frustrated legal liaison to the World’s Greatest Private Detective, Daryl Zero (Pullman), a neurotic recluse whose crime-solving abilities are trumped only by his perturbing oddities. Arlo is a sort-of reluctant Watson to Zero’s curious Sherlock. Their latest client is Gregory Stark (Ryan O’Neal), a wealthy businessman being blackmailed by unknown persons. The case takes the dynamic duo to Portland, Oregon where Zero quickly begins to unravel the mystery.

While Arlo’s patience with his boss wanes, Zero narrows his list of suspects to quiet paramedic Gloria Sullivan (Kim Dickens). The normally sharp-sensed detective is thrown off kilter by the subtle charms of the personable Gloria. Zero uses his awkward charisma to pull Gloria closer, but finds himself falling for her. The guarded Gloria hints at a past tragedy which leads Zero back to Gregory Stark, a pompous tycoon with something to hide.

There’s very little wrong with this movie. An original dark comedy, Zero Effect features a clever script and a host of top-notch performances. Pullman delivers the goods as the enigmatic Daryl Zero, a fresh character deserving of his own series. Also worth mentioning is Kim Dickens, an unheralded actress who is outstanding in everything she does. Adding to the heap of accolades is an eclectic soundtrack that includes Elvis Costello, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and Esthero. See this film; you won’t be disappointed.

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