Zero Effect (1998)

Witty, well written and well done. One of Ben Stiller's best (Mystery Men) performances, and I think Bill Pullman's best to date. Kim Dickens though, she really stole the show as far as I'm concerned. A really moving performance, strong, yet fragile, beguilingly mysterious. The narrative is interesting and amusing, not too studious or too slapstick. Cinematographically nicely done, well shot and apparently accurate geographically, seemed to capture the Northwestern feeling. The elephant in the room, that no one mentions, is that both main characters seem to be suffering from Asberger's Syndrome (or something similar), which can cause savant like abilities to process data, or observations. How else could they deduce what they did. So to me this is an Autistic Love Story.

Charming, Quirky, and Modern Retelling of Sherlock Holmes. A Reincarnation of one Daryl Zero, "The World's Most Private Detective". Bill Pullman and Ben Stiller are the Homes and Watson of this Bizarre Cult Favorite that was a Surprise from First Time Director/Writer Jake Kasdan.The Dialog, or the Words are what Moves this Rather Complex Story from A to B. The Best Stuff comes from the Voice Overs and Explanations that Define the Detective and His Methods. The Performances from the Main Actors are also Worthy and Effective. The Story Itself maybe too Complicated by a Half and the Film may be just a Little too Long for its Own Zeitgeist, but it is Better by Far than a Lot of so called Hip Comedies and Manages to Combine Wit and Personality to take the Movie on an Offbeat Path and Therein Lies the Appeal.It is Character Driven to Say the Least and the Mystery is kind of a Letdown in the End but the Road Taken is Filled with a Number of Pit Stops that are Both Intriguing and Intellectual Enough to make this a Sleeper Worthy of a Watch, and Maybe Even at this Late Date, A Sequel.

"Zero Effect" (1998) is a comedy/drama starring Bill Pullman, Ben Stiller, Ryan O'Neal, and Kim Dickens. Bill Pullman is Daryl Zero, a combination of Howard Hughes and Sherlock Holmes - an eccentric recluse with amazing deductive powers. Ben Stiller is Steve Arlo, his representative with the clients. The job is taking a toll on Steve's relationship with his girlfriend Jess. A high-powered man (O'Neal) is being blackmailed and, through Steve, hires Daryl Zero to find out who is blackmailing him and also to recover some keys that he lost. He believes the keys have given the blackmailer information he shouldn't have. Darryl works on the case hands-on, though distancing himself from the client, and becomes entangled with a paramedic (Dickens) whom he believes has something to do with the case.The acting is very good, particularly from Pullman and Stiller, and the script by writer/director Jake Kasdan is good, with some quirky twists. Unfortunately he also has his main character, the brilliant Daryl Zero, make a couple of stupid slips to facilitate the plot. No fair! All in all, "Zero Effect" is an odd film - it's not really a comedy, actually coming off more like a drama, and it's very low-key in its delivery, which is surprising with someone like Stiller in the cast. And it's quite absorbing, not at all a "zero effect."

Excellent story and dialog. Certainly underrated. The film has great performances by Bill Pullman and Kim Dickens, as well as Ben Stiller. This one seems to have gone unnoticed by most people, but it was clever and entertaining. The plot moves and has plenty of twists, but the plot twists are not what makes the film great. The characters and their development are what make this movie unique. Daryl Zero is one of the most memorable private detectives I have ever seen and his relationship with Gloria Sullivan (Kim Dickens) is well developed. Daryl's sidekick, Ben Stiller, is interesting too as his loyalties are tested throughout the film. At first it is difficult to determine how astute Daryl is--is he really the "most observant" person in the world? Or is he a bumbling fake? As the story develops, you see how adept Daryl Zero is. Even the soundtrack is good with a great song by Nick Cave.