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Rented by recommendation-RobertD's recommendation. I have seen
two films by sons of directors this year. The execrable
"She's So Lovely" by the boy Cassavettes and "The
Zero Factor" by the boy Kasdan. "Zero" is plainly
the superior film. Mr. Zero - Bill Pullman - is a peculiar but
successful private detective. He uses a front for all client
contact, attorney Ben Stiller. New case-blackmail of Ryan O'Neal.
The quirky Mr. Zero, a Howard Hughes shut-in, becomes emotionally
involved with a female target (name escapes but she was
attractive and actually, I suppose ironically, memorable) just
when Stiller, his public persona, gives notice because of
Pullman's ever-weird job demands. The film is light and funny
rather than gut-splitting, but it picks up momentum and proves to
be moving in many ways. Quirky - made more so by Kasdan's
unconventional camera angles (hey, the Coen brothers were
over-showy in "Blood Simple", so give him a break) -
Pullman, Stiller and the girl are very affecting in the late
stages, and what might have been a lame mad-cap becomes
pleasantly sad in the end. A nice mystery to boot, but that
appears besides the point. Niner says - Seven and 9999999 and
9/10 of a 9 out of 10 Nines.
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