writer-director jake kasdan's zero effect gets its title from its main character , daryl zero ( bill pullman ) . zero is perhaps the world's greatest private detective , solving many a case without even setting foot outside of his well-secured penthouse apartment . and that's the problem--zero is unquestionably a head case , a shut-in with no social skills whatsoever , writing bad love songs , guzzling cans of tab , and eating tuna straight from the can when not working on a case . his only contact with the outside world comes in the form of his overworked assistant , attorney steve arlo ( ben stiller ) . >from the sounds of it , zero effect sounds like one of those painfully labored and unfunny comedies focusing on a wacky hero who somehow achieves brilliance through his sheer stupidity and dumb luck . in reality , though , the film could not be more different . while it does have its share of humorous moments , zero effect is an intriguing character study of its protagonist disguised as a conventional comic mystery . not that there isn't a mystery involved , and it is certainly one of zero effect's weakest points . zero is hired by wealthy portland businessman gregory stark ( ryan o'neal ) to recover a set of lost keys . naturally , this simple investigation leads to something more complex , mainly a blackmail scheme involving stark and a paramedic named gloria sullivan ( kim dickens ) . how this mechanical mystery plays out is flat , suspenseless , and more than a little predictable , not helped at all by kasdan's unnecessarily languid pacing . however , with the development of gloria's relationship with an incognito zero the film achieves a surprising poignance . zero may be an oddball , but he's also incredibly intelligent , and that is the root cause of his reclusiveness . throughout the film , zero describes his investigation technique in a " how-to " voiceover , and it is here that he explains the key to his success : " the two 'obs' " --objectivity and observation . in becoming the best p . i . in the world , zero has mastered the art of objectivity , literally and figuratively detaching himself from the rest of the world . when the investigation forces him to deal directly with gloria , zero is treated to his first genuine emotional human contact and a glimpse of what real life is about--direct involvement , not objective observation . this is not to say that zero effect degenerates into something sappy and touchy-feely ; the power of the relationship and its effects on zero and gloria derives from its subtle execution . zero effect is not a perfect debut for kasdan ( son of lawrence ) ; in addition to the by-the-numbers mystery , there is also a weak subplot revolving around the strain arlo's work puts on his relationship with his girlfriend ( angela featherstone ) . but even in its flawed form , zero effect is a lot more accomplished and mature than a lot of work by more established filmmakers . 
