This movie needs some editing. Otherwise it is a quirky, funny-sad look at the downside of life. From the outset, there is worse than gum on the bottom of Lloyd Meadows' shoes, and he is destined to step in more of it before the end of the movie. All of the philosophizing is to be taken with a grain of salt. H. M. Wynant, as a crusty old private eye, puts it best: They are head cases. The audience is definitely meant to overlook reality. For example, in California, where the story is set, you can't just go out and hang a shingle and call yourself a private eye. It's almost that easy in some states, but not there. The movie is really about--and is at its best when--looking at the whacky ideas of the characters. That said, everyone who is honest will admit that these characters suffer from anxieties which are only exaggerations of ones we have seen or experienced. Lloyd is too cynical, Peter and Jane are too open-hearted. They change positions to greater or lesser extent as they confront each other. Jim Perez is a good director, and this low budget movie is very professionally photographed. The acting is adequate, though writer/actor James McManus may have given himself too much to chew. In that regard, McManus is in good company. Citizen Kane kicked his furniture around too much, too.
