There is something undeniably sad about Keno Argyle as he floats in and out of his condemned apartment and in and out of reality...not your everyday private eye, Keno's not the hero of your everyday movie. L.A. is a mess. The entire city seems to be rat-infested and smogged to the max as this clueless private eye investigates his partner's disappearance. Keno's trip to Olvera Street borders on the insane with his diet a close match. When sexy Miss Hedda McGill shows up unannounced, Keno seems less interested in her charms than in a cookbook that his missing partner has written. I highly recommend this most unusual film. It ignores the limitations of what must have been a very low budget and makes for great entertainment. Witty and loaded with a rich knowledge of the noir genre and mystery movies in general, it plays a mind game on many levels from start to finish. Dig the references on the pier to Orson Welles' TOUCH OF EVIL, as homicide cop, Blume, barks out orders for a midnight snack to his diminutive side-kick, Quinlan. Line up the references to CHINATOWN when Keno discovers somebody tearing up Los Angeles brick by brick. Keno seems to be living on French fries and bottled water. Maybe that's his problem? Maybe not. The story, such as it is, leads this private eye from downtown to Malibu and back again, and the wrap-up is beyond belief crazed, lovingly referring to a laundry list of iconic movie titles that spell trouble. Harry Monument may be dead in a pile of fried potatoes, but his partner will be the last to admit it. Cheeseburgers aside, the plot of this madcap movie walks the fine line between the best and the worst in a life of crime without a net, adding yet another memorable set of characters to the noir tradition.
