Zen Noir (2006)

The acting is stylized, the sets are stylized, the editing is stylized, all toward a Zen-like minimalist aesthetic.

Any hopes that Marc Rosenbush’s film might transcend its unimaginative title are dashed almost immediately, as manic fade-outs, fade-ins and overlays of portentous symbols give way to mannered dialogue and bad jokes.

Any one of a thousand can spoof noir. One in a thousand can spoof it well.

...indulges in a lot of jumpcuts and flashy montages that quickly prove more irritating than expressive. Even at 65 minutes (plus credits), this one feels too long.

A fascinating, if somewhat pretentious little film that's not exactly the cut and dried crime drama that The Detective might have expected.