Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid

A Carl Reiner neo-noir spoof, where a PI (Steve Martin) is approached by an alluring woman (Rachel Ward) and slowly begins to unravel a sinister plot.

This cleverly (and painstakingly) weaves in scenes from real noir films, and ‘features’ actors like Bogart, MacMurray and Bette Davis inter-mingling with Steve Martin. It’s a cool trick and a lovely homage to the genre but it’s not when the film is at its funniest.

What really works is when it’s on its own, away from the real noir footage. The screenplay was clearly written by people who love these old movies, and the dialogue and direction are right on the money. The jokes come from a place of love, but it’s also keenly aware of the elements of the genre that have aged badly and is happy to stick the knife in when it needs to. It mocks without making a mockery.

Steve Martin’s absurd coffee recipe is what got me laughing the hardest, I really ought to try it out at some point.