A Fancy Piece of Homicide

An old Private Eye who was wrongfully convicted of a crime and exonerated is tormented by a mystery conspiracy just before he is about to land a book deal.

This is a really excellent piece of writing. A real potboiler detective story in the classic style of Raymond Chandler. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. It also had a real dark, modern edge. There was a palpable sense of dread and mystery by the end that would appeal to fans of David Lynch. I really cared about the main characters right from the get go. The lead actor in particular was stellar and, especially considering his advanced age, should be celebrated as a master of his craft for this work.

Unfortunately, it suffered from a low budget. If this movie could have gotten a little more money, and put a "name" actor or two with established reputations in the supporting roles, I could see this movie doing some moderately successful business. But, that isn't the case with this film. It was very obvious that most if not all of the tertiary actors were just reading their lines, and poorly. And the big reveal in the end wasn't very clear, though perhaps it was meant to be confusing.

I doubt this would win any awards, or that it will ultimately even be accepted to the film festival, but all things being equal, this is a hell of a movie so I have to give it four stars and a reserved recommendation.