Directed by Jack Cook, The Private Eye stars comedian Matt Rife in the role of Detective Mort Madison. Recruited for an unusual case by a blonde woman named Michelle (Clare Grant), the case brings him to a shocking revelation about himself.
Throughout the story, Mort finds himself involved in a love triangle between Michelle and another man: a hippie psychologist named David. The detective falls in love with the blonde-haired goddess but doesn’t understand why. That is until he learns something weird about this strangely familiar woman!
Stylistically, The Private Eye borrows loose conventions from the noir genre of Dick Tracy and Sherlock Holmes, such as the use of black-and-white narration and internal dialogue. But it’s also an odd fusion with modern cinema, as seen by the use of contemporary hip-hop music and color photography.
First, the positives. The dialogue is well-written and well-acted. While the drama lacks sorely, the comedy gives the film a few good laughs. We get a nice helping of Viagra jokes, outrageous pick-up lines, male sex fantasies, and hilarious hippie-bashing.
“…finds himself involved in a love triangle between Michelle and another man: a hippie psychologist…”
Comedians always breathe life into any cinematic role, and Matt Rife is no exception. Handsome and well-built, the youthful comedian gives a fairly compelling performance as the detective. His performance is well-matched by Clare Grant, who plays an excellent femme fatale.
The movie features great cameos, such as Hollywood actor Eric Roberts (he played Maroni from The Dark Knight). There’s also an enjoyable appearance by comedian Erik Griffin, who nails the minor role of a taxi driver named “Crazy Carl.”
Then, the negatives. The storytelling isn’t done well. It’s confusing and leaves you unsatisfied. Glimmers of goodness exist, but the bulk of the drama is filled with unnecessary, uninteresting scenes. Boring stuff, such as drinking obnoxiously loud and taking a shower. Nobody wants to see a shower scene of a dude!
Although an admirable effort with a few good qualities—the cameos, the acting, some funny jokes—The Private Eye just doesn’t leave much of an impact. Ultimately, it’s a missed opportunity and a disappointment. The few nuggets of good comedy just aren’t enough to save this one. Maybe worth a half-hearted watch, but not much more.
"…nice helping of Viagra jokes, outrageous pick-up lines, male sex fantasies, and hilarious hippie-bashing."
