Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Purely Joyful Movie!

Too much about the plot just didn't add up, the writing was bad, some of the scenes were cringey and awkward,

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

This movie had a lot of hilarious moments and, thank god, unique funny characters that weren't the same old generic personalities. This film is about being spontaneous, creative and adventurous every day, rather than the far more boring one-dimensional act of watching others (ie. staring at a TV). It's about the sort of fun you had as a kid - relying on your imagination rather than some bad TV writer. You won't get the same predictable humour (well except for a few scenes like the one where they sit around and guess where the tape is at, it was so obvious you can see it coming a mile away), the characters don't follow any formulaic character arcs or other rubbish, which adds to the realism. The ending is a bit of a let down considering the rest of the film is so brilliant. A film for outside-the-box minds.

Watching the Detectives - Neil (the very talented Cillian Murphy) owns a rundown video store that specializes in obscure B movies and film noir. His life consists of watching movies and chatting while his life goes nowhere. One day he meets an intense free-spirit girl named Violet (Lucy Liu) who plays pranks on him compulsively. The film contains many delightful nods to gumshoe film noir.The plot is simple, and it seems like the sort of film that was made for film buffs, with more references than you can shake a stick at. It even feels like the sort of film I would make, and doubtless director/writer Peter Soter speaks from experience. The premise is enjoyable, as is the chemistry between Cillian Murphy, who is the show, and Lucy Liu. She perfectly plays the "crazy" girlfriend. She's like fire. Violet burns brightly, but often burns the gullible Nick with her pranks. Nick reminds me of me. And I love myself, and love Cillian Murphy, so this film really spoke to me.The films message, which is to get out and enjoy life, might rub some film aficionados the wrong way for criticizing the wholeness of their lives, so their umbrage is understood, though unfortunate. I know fully well that screens are no substitute for real life and take every opportunity to do something else. They are a nice distraction when things are stagnant though.It's just all in good fun, often very good fun. The shenanigans that Nick and Violet get into are just too much. I wholeheartedly enjoyed this film. Watching the Detectives is cleverly written, often very funny and quirky and idiosyncratic as hell. As this is the case, it's not for everyone but eons better than most of what has come out this year. I'm dismayed Watching the Detectives didn't get a full release. I suppose there aren't enough ironic film buffs out there and fans of Cillian Murphy, whose performance makes the movie. This and Breakfast on Pluto are a great set of companion films. Watching the Detectives gets an A-

I'm not much of a writer so I'm not sure how to say what I want about this movie. It reminded me of Breakfast at Tiffany's and was a refreshing break from my normal diet of action, Sci-Fi, adventure movies without being to sappy and "family friendly." Although it had it's moments of action and adventure as well, it's mostly a romantic comedy. It was nice to see a love story that didn't devolve to the level of something like "What happens in Vegas." I thought Lucy Liu and Cillian Murphy were both excellent, and as a male I must say that Lucy Liu was unbelievably cute (in a hot way) in this movie. The movies plot is less important than the way the plot evolves, sometimes comedy, sometimes parody, sometimes wacky, sometimes serious. And for those of us who watch a lot of movies, new and old, there are some great nods to classics of the past. What can I say, I was happy, motivated and hopeful after seeing this movie.

I tend to avoid romantic comedies, especially recent American-produced ones. Not because I'm single, but also I don't relate to the hunky guy, the object of affection for the high-strung, lonely lady, who desperately seeks Mr. Right, in a so-called humorous fashion. I'm not a boorish or a nebbish, but I feel what guy would date a woman who feels she's needs a man to be happy? Guess I'm too logical. However, there's a cute oasis called "Watching The Detectives", an indie film that charmingly destroys the conventions of courting. It also shares its title with the Elvis Costello tune, but didn't have the budget to secure the song's rights to put it on the soundtrack. Fair enough.Neil Lewis (a lively Cillian Murphy of "Red Eye" and "Batman Begins") is the owner of Gumshoe Video, a hole-in-the-wall video rental store that's a haven for VHS tapes. The man loves movies, but the types that won't be playing at the local multiplex: Cult. Exploitation. Grade-B. Foreign. Film Noir. In the shop, cinephiles discuss a movie, a genre or what scene did some unsatisfied renter stop a movie on a tape, unlike in the nearby corporate, sugar-filled rival "Media Giant" (a sub for Blockbuster).Problem is Neil's too much of a fantasy junkie, instigating pranks so life won't be so boring. That turns off his current girlfriend (Heather Burns), who ditches him. What to do now? Sunshine enters the store as Violet (the cooler than cool Lucy Liu of "Lucky Number Slevin", "Rise" and "Dirty Sexy Money") a quirky dame, who drags Neil into her eccentric atmosphere. He's enamored but she gets him into some very risky antics. You'll wonder who nuttier than a squirrel's winter stash but won't care while seeing two kindred spirits have chemistry.A member of the comedy troupe, Broken Lizard, Paul Soter ("Super Troopers") helms his script with the same raw courage that infested the indie films of the previous decade. I think Kevin Smith (the View Askew saga) was lurking about somewhere as two video clerks converse about which's better: Japanese death anime or Korean snuff cartoons.Murphy and Liu, who slyly echo Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn from "Bringing Up Baby" (a favorite of mine), look like they're slumming, but with most of the scripts masquerading as good material nowadays, who could seriously blame them, and their performances are too sweet for words. Jason Sudekis ("Saturday Night Live" and some "30 Rock" episodes) and Michael Panes are durable as the aforementioned clerks.The only snag is the film's lack of promotion by its' distributor, Peacearch. Sure, "Watching The Detectives", the second film Ms. Liu starred in that debuted at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival, along with "Rise", is unconventional, but that's what gives this underdog gem some giddy, honest warmth. See this film, and you'll thank yourself.