Zero Effect

Jake Kasdan’s directorial debut, Zero Effect follows private investigator Daryl Zero (Bill Pullman) and his exasperated assistant (Ben Stiller’s Steve Arlo) as they look into a case of blackmail involving a prominent, wealthy businessman (Ryan O’Neal’s Gregory Stark) – with the eventual arrival of Kim Dickens’ Gloria Sullivan on the scene complicating Daryl’s ongoing efforts to finish the job. Filmmaker Kasdan, working from his own screenplay, delivers a lackadaisically-paced drama that remains entertaining throughout, certainly, and yet Zero Effect never quite manages to attain the engrossing heights one might’ve anticipated – with the movie’s myriad of positive attributes ultimately unable to coalesce into something above average. It’s worth noting, regardless, that the picture is rife with appealing elements that set it apart from its similarly-themed brethren, with, especially, the strong, consistently-compelling work from leads Pullman and Stiller playing a significant role in keeping things interesting throughout (and it’s worth noting, too, that Kasdan has elicited solid performances from an eclectic supporting cast). The almost two hour running time is, in the final analysis, the most problematic aspect of Zero Effect, as Kasdan delivers a hit-and-miss narrative that’s weighed down by needless subplots (eg both protagonists’ romantic exploits) – which does confirm the movie’s place as a solid yet erratic first film that would’ve benefited from a few more passes through the editing bay.

*** out of ****