A BAD WEEK IN A TOUGH TOWN.

Thief Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey, Jr.) accidentally stumbles into the movie business, but also finds himself involved in murder with detective Perry Van Shrike (Val Kilmer). That plot description alone gives an idea of how mystifying and convoluted Shane Black’s noirish script is, and frankly I don’t really care who did what to whom. The reason why his directing debut is so entertaining is the funny dialogue and the way it is delivered by two stars who are clearly having a great time, playing a pathetic thief and a sarcastic, gay detective. However, Downey, Jr.’s intentionally incoherent narration works so-so.

2005-U.S. 102 min. Color. Widescreen. Written and directed by Shane Black. Cast: Robert Downey, Jr. (Harry Lockhart), Val Kilmer (Perry Van Shrike), Michelle Monaghan (Harmony Faith Lane), Corbin Bernsen, Dash Mihok, Larry Miller.

Trivia: Black based his script on parts of Brett Halliday’s novel “Bodies Are Where You Find Them”. Harrison Ford and Johnny Knoxville were allegedly considered for the leads.

IMDb