Screenwriter Shane Black of LETHAL WEAPON fame makes his directorial debut with this film noir gem. Robert Downey, Jr., stars as Harry Lockhart, a petty thief in New York City who quite literally stumbles into acting and soon finds himself in Los Angeles to test for a film role as a private detective. To help Harry prepare, his new agent arranges for him to shadow a gay private investigator, Perry van Shrike--also known as "Gay Perry" (Val Kilmer). But when Perry takes Harry along on a simple job for a mystery client, the two witness the disposal of a dead body, and the game suddenly becomes serious. Adding to the intrigue is Harmony Faith Lane (Michelle Monaghan), a beautiful and smart-as-a-whip wannabe starlet with whom Harry is so smitten that he pretends to be a real detective. Soon Harry, Perry, and Harmony are tangled in a life-threatening web of dead bodies, deception, and treachery.

Downey is a delight, exhibiting perfect comic timing while infusing Harry with just enough heart to show that, despite appearances, he really is a good guy. Kilmer is the ideal buddy for Downey, playing the no-nonsense private investigator Perry with the right mixture of machismo and stereotypical Tinseltown superficiality. As Harry's dream girl, Harmony, Monaghan embodies the good girl whose dreams are looking more and more unobtainable--and who has clearly been around the block a few times. Top-notch performances combined with Black's wickedly amusing banter and a plot laden with twists and turns make this action-thriller a treat.