A private detective is hired to find a missing stripper. A simple job turns complicated when everyone he questions ends up dead. SPOILER: The private detective from Los Angeles Ned Cruz is interrogated by LAPD Detectives Poley, Frizer, and Skeres. Cruz is blind after being hit on the face and asks many times whether "she is alive". Cruz explains to the detectives that after a lost case of his client and Hollywood star Adam Nova, he is tired, and returns to his office to rest. Out of the blue, the washed up boxer Anton "The Pro" Protopov comes to his office to hire him to find his missing girlfriend and former stripper Lexie Persimmon. Cruz recalls that five years ago, the Russian mobster Skinny Faddeev gave thirty million dollars in blood diamonds in advance to him to lose a fight against his nephew. However, Anton killed the nephew with one punch, and when Skinny was found dead, he was sentenced to life. While in prison, Lexie writes two hundred sixty letters to him and they fall in love. When a criminal confesses to the murder of Skinny, Anton is released, but he does not find Lexie. Ned Cruz starts the investigation and finds a lead that Lexie might be in San Celeritas, New Mexico. Cruz notes that a black Lincoln is following him, and he believes that the Russian mob is chasing him. However, he heads to the spot, and in the Planck's Constant Coffer, he has an affair with the waitress (Autumn Reeser) that helps him. After reading the letters, Cruz becomes obsessed with Lexie. When Cruz is invited to have dinner with the delusional millionaire Simon Kestral, he is introduced to his wife Julie Kestral and the physicist Niels Geck, and he believes he has resolved the case. However, nothing is what seems to be, and Cruz only discovers the truth when it is too late. Yes, refreshingly exciting, this is what i just felt during and after watching this not high-budget action-romance story. Banderas is back, very good performance. Fichtner not brilliant but psycho as it suits him, i love this individual's psychology. In general nice performing in an usual storyline. I liked the "sin city's" way of going through the movie. All in all i enjoyed this movie that hooked me since the first moment. it had a start and an end. through the whole movie i wanted to pay attention, the mystery helps but the story was making you feel that way.<br/><br/>Smart and enjoyable, i would suggest you spare 99 minutes for this piece. Enjoy ! Some very good acting (especially from Sam Elliot), an unusual script filled with sometimes strangely funny references to cosmological and particle physics, and a jazzy style of direction lead to an inexpensive, yet engaging "private detective" story. Antonio Banderas' Latin, fish-out-of-water accent (the detective) initially seems odd for such an iconic American role, but in short order, it just blends-in with the many other off-center characters and events that populate the film.<br/><br/>It's flaws are irrelevant and understandable considering its limited budget and shooting schedule; it's a refreshing hour and a half of entertaining stuff that smartly never takes itself too seriously. Though the setup is pure Raymond Chandler (Farewell, My Lovely, specifically), the film's bleary, neon glamour and penchant for the bizarre suggests an attempted-and wayward-homage to David Lynch.
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371 weeks ago