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Duane Sharp, Kim Chan, Ezra Buzzington, Debra Miller, Jennifer Siebel ... see more see more... , Howard Fong , Jennifer Siebel Newsom

A death has occurred in a Buddhist temple, but in order to solve the crime, the nameless detective in charge of the investigation must let go of his logic and rely on the intuitive, non-linear world o... read more read more...f Zen in director Marc Rosenbush's abstruse comic mystery. Still in mourning from the recent loss of his wife, the detective must first question Ed; a secretive monk whose bad attitude immediately raises a red flag. When subsequent discussions with chrome domed femme fatale Jane and the frustratingly obscure Zen teacher known as The Master appear to lead the detective in circles, he quickly realizes that he will not be able to rely on his usual investigatory procedures and must alter his line of thinking to better reflect his surroundings. But the murder isn't the only mystery here, and as the disheartened detective feels the presence of his deceased wife hanging thick in the monastery air, he soon realizes that there is a much deeper and intensely personal mystery to be solved. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Flixster Users

69% liked it

558 ratings

Critics

29% liked it

14 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 11 min.

Directed by: Marc Rosenbush

Release Date: September 15, 2006

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DVD Release Date: May 15, 2007

Stats: 39 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (39)

  • matertenebraum
    July 4, 2009
    matertenebraum
    Wow. You won't see ANY films like this. Completely original. Funny, mysterious, slightly disturbing. HIghly recommend. And, if you know anything about Zen Buddhism, a must see. This filmmaker has created a little work of art in Zen Noir. It takes you on a ride that is constantly ... read morethrowing you off balance, and whacking your synapses in weird places, but in a humorous nearly loving way. He creatively merges the worlds of Film Noir and Zen Buddhism, and they blend together perfectly. You definitely leave with more questions than you went in with. I'd tell ya more, but I don't want to be a spoiler. Actually, I think this is unspoilable. I'm still not even sure what happened.

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Critic Reviews

J. R. Jones
December 1, 2006
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

...An irritating exercise in ham acting, metaphysical patter routines, and rim-shot-style comic editing. Full Review

Michael Phillips
November 30, 2006
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

Insufferably coy. Full Review

Robert Denerstein
September 29, 2006
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News

Rosenbush's cinematic experiment generates so little excitement I doubt whether you'll hear even the sound of one hand clapping.

Kevin Thomas
September 21, 2006
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

A provocative, witty -- and admittedly esoteric -- experimental comedy that is serious, amusing and satisfying. Full Review

Neva Chonin
September 15, 2006
Neva Chonin, San Francisco Chronicle

For all its shortcomings, Zen Noir still entertains. Full Review

Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
November 9, 2006
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press

It plays like a short film extended to the length of a feature ... and assembled by someone who appears to have seen a bunch of David Lynch movies and not quite understood them. Full Review

Josh Rosenblatt
October 30, 2006
Josh Rosenblatt, Austin Chronicle

Like its hero, Zen Noir doesn't exist for even a second outside the vocabulary of the film world. Full Review

John Hartl
October 27, 2006
John Hartl, Seattle Times

Even at 71 minutes, this shoestring-budget production seems overlong and undernourished. Full Review

Bill White
October 26, 2006
Bill White, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Writer/director Marc Rosenbush's first film, from the false toughness of its surface to its soft, pulpy heart, will please neither aficionados of the detective genre nor devotees of Eastern religion. Full Review

Les Wright
October 16, 2006
Les Wright, culturevulture.net

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

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