This should have been a classic. All the elements are there. Old Hollywood, a gruesome crime, an unlikely paring of unlikely heroes, a nuanced multi-faceted villain. This should have been another Sunset Boulevard, Chinatown, Hollywood Confidential with humor and heart. It never found it's footing. The suspense parts have no danger, the comedic parts aren't funny, the action sequences aren't exciting and there's no emotional resolution. With watching for the premise alone and the imagining of how good the movie could have been.
