I’m awarding this a full 10 stars, mainly because I've always enjoyed movies like it, and when it was released, as a teenager, I really appreciated those moody independent mysteries trying to emulate film noir—even if they didn’t quite succeed. And now that I’m older, I still find them enjoyable, but with a more developed sense of what works well... or at least the ones that manage to capture some of the familiar elements effectively. If you approach it critically, though, the story doesn't hold up under scrutiny. Those who like to critique from their couches will probably be shouting at the screen and facepalming repeatedly—but that’s almost part of what makes films like this appealing. The better ones minimize those instances, but even then, moments where you think "What were they thinking?" can become a source of amusement in themselves. It also features Jennifer Rubin, who consistently delivers solid performances and deserves bigger roles throughout her career. Here, she does a good job of portraying someone naive enough to avoid directly addressing the writers about the aforementioned issues, while still seeming capable of solving the mystery. And it’s the “mystery” itself that prevents this from being a truly great film. It requires a significant leap of faith; if you don't simply accept it and move on, you’ll be intensely frustrated. Because, truthfully, beyond that, the acting is quite good. Firth and Rubin both do an excellent job with their characters, the film has the right atmosphere for its genre, and it captures that 90s independent Hollywood aesthetic that many people appreciate... but it does so while also including elements that will make you want to throttle the writer and situations that might leave a noticeable mark on your forehead. Despite all of that, though, it’s still entertaining. It won't bore you, and ultimately, that's really the only reason to create a movie—to provide entertainment. That should be every film’s primary objective.

Source on TMDB