When it comes to this movie, take the advice of Emily Watson. She plays Trixie, a naive detective who speaks in malapropisms. The goofy dialogue gets old quickly in this unsuccessful experiment by writer-director Alan Rudolph to combine film noir and screwball comedy. It also stars Nick Nolte, Dermot Mulroney, Nathan Lane, Lesley Ann Warren and Brittany Murphy.
Curiosity overcomes the initial turnoff.
Ultimately one acquires a taste for the unusual treat. Rudolph has a soft spot for hard-luck characters and a talent for combining disparate elements. But the dialogue makes it impossible. While some malapropism is amusing, the extended joke is worn out in 15 minutes. This time, he's a developer in cahoots with the corrupt senator.