Trouble Is My Business (2018) User Reviews

The Simple Art of Murder

[MogwaiMovieReviews · 3/10 · 3 April 2018]

I confess, I couldn't get all the way through this: porn-level acting, script and production values but with zero sex and nudity. That's quite a frustrating two hours, to be honest.

I checked it out because of it taking the title of a Raymond Chandler book of short stories - none of which are here used. Since the film is set in the same genre, in the same period, and very much in the same style, stealing the title could be seen as - at best - audacious, but less generously as outrageous cheek.

It's clear the creators were trying for something better, on a very small budget, and they should be applauded for that, but the end result just really isn't very good at all, with nothing new or interesting to add to an already very well-explored territory.

Overacted, but kind of funny

[leon-geyer · 3/10 · 22 October 2018]

The acting is terrible, but I would blame for that mainly the director skills. Well, a director has to do several stuff besides guidance of acting performance, and I think other work isn't that bad. The genre is more than clear and the art coherent, the mise-en-scene is sometimes too predictable (mainly the shots), and the dialogs are funny, not that overdone like the acting. This is a film where the people did a lot of things, the main actors wrote and produced, other staff is in secondary roles, so it seems like a heart-project. If you can live with overacting, it is a interesting homage to Film-Noir. PD1: Thinking about it, maybe the overacting (also overstatement of mise en scene with details like CloseUps, tear on cheek, etc) is on purpose, there is people who like it (Jim Carrey, overacts in most of the films, but he can also, as he has shown sometimes, act in another style). Well, in that case, it isn't lack of skills, it's just a style I don't enjoy.

PD2: Funny is also so much people taking negative comments personally, accusing of trolling, manipulation, and other conspiracies. 'common, everybody is free to have an own opinion, and everybody shall decide what to take from them.

Watching this movie can cause irreparable losses

[vali64 · 3/10 · 11 August 2020]

I'm a fan of noir movies, I don't think I missed any of the masterpieces of the 40's and 50's. But I only lasted 15 minutes on this film, it's a real joke about this genre, and not a good one. A wooden performance, with some absolutely embarrassing dialogues. Avoid this so-called noir, better clean the dog's cage, this will give you more satisfaction.

Hamfisted...

[davidjdoyle-140-892335 · 7 April 2018]

Don't waste your time with this flick. I'm being gracious with 2 stars.

The film tries too hard to be noir and fails miserably. With essentially a "no name" cast, which is not normally a red flag, but in this case it is. This is more a parody of a noir detective film, at least that's the way it comes across. Acting is high school drama class quality... seriously, I really can't single out one good portrayal. The writing is an insult to classic noir, the directing is hamfisted and sophomoric.

The 8,9 and 10 star reviews were probably made by the cast, crew and family members as they are so over-the-top gushing platitudes as to be completely unbelievable.

Nice Idea. Really BAD film.

[Chris_Casey · 1/10 · 12 April 2018]

I'm all for supporting struggling independent film companies, directors, actors, and the like. I salute those folks that are out there fighting the good fight. But, sometimes when you fight, you lose. And this is definitely a lost fight. The film's premise is good. But, that's about it. The film starts off a little bad and proceeds to become excruciatingly lousy. I'm not trying to be hateful or disrespectful towards the filmmakers. They probably put their hearts and souls into this project and I really do salute their efforts. However, in my opinion, nothing really works in this film (except for a few well-lit shots). Nice idea. Failure of a film.

Couldn't watch beyond 10 minutes

[wimpler · 2/10 · 11 April 2018]

It's such a long time since I've seen such poor acting. What promised to be a Sin City (esque) thriller turned into a wooden, awkward embarrassment. It may have been great after 10 minutes but I'd rather poke pencils into my eyes than have to endure any more.

Just terrible

[johnseddoncyprus · 1/10 · 22 November 2019]

I am fairly tolerant to poor movies, but this one quickly became unwatchable. The screenplay is ridiculous, the actors all poor. It fails miserably to create the classic "noir" atmosphere of earlier black and white detective flics. I was also irritated by the fact that the film borrows the title of an excellent R. Chandler novel I am reading but has nothing to do with that book, The producer is shamefully trying to get mileage out of a popular author. Spend your time otherwise. Clean the oven or something.

How did this get made?

[gracefreid · 1/10 · 1 May 2024]

This is thé worst movie I've ever seen. I feel embarrassed for the participants. The acting is absolutely clumsy to the point I don't doubt high schoolers could do better. I don't recognize any of the actors, needless to say. The music and sound-yikes-and the lighting and cinematography are even worse. Raymond Chandler would be appalled. Oh, and the costumes and make-up make wonder about...everything. Truly, this shouldn't appear as an offering on Kanopy! Maybe this is a cult film of some kind, yet I don't think one could get stoned enough to watch more than a minute. Truly - don't do this to yourself, no matter who you are!

P. S. Just looked up to see the wine in the wine glasses in the dinner scene is obviously not even real wine!

This has a number of pluses, and some serious minuses

[kggiy · 5/10 · 19 October 2020]

If you are looking for Bogie, this is not it. As many have said, the dialogue and the acting is not exactly Oscar material. Still, the performances are solid, occasionally funny, and follows the threads and form of a true Noir.

There are moments when you cannot help but smile at the dialog (or think to yourself - did the screenwriter ever read a Hammett, or Chandler, or heck even Spillane) and chuckle at the acting, but it does draw one into the story, which is sold. You might see some of it coming, and there are lots of clues, but a couple of the twists were well done indeed.

For not having a studio behind it, it is worth an afternoon watch when there is nothing else on TV. Could it be better? Sure, but it could be a lot worse and production quality is as good as any of the B-rolls they released during the classic noir period.

They forgot to say it was a comedy also!

[carlosmdasilva · 6/10 · 4 May 2020]

Genres: Action , Adventure , Crime , Mystery , Thriller, should have added comedy. I like some of the graphics they used was simple but nice on the eyes

Can't Trust the Trolls

[tomandkennaproductions · 8/10 · 7 April 2018]

Okay so I found this movie on YouTube and watched it on FandangoNow. I came here to look it up to see who was in it.

I was surprised to see polarized reviews liking it (it was good) and others calling unwatchable or bad or whatever because it clearly isnt, sue me, I liked it.

Then I looked at who was writing the terrible reviews of this film and I saw they gave 1 star to movies I loved like Black Panther one star to Wonder Woman and on and on just writing so I thought I'd write here and they wrote nothing but bad reviews so I thought. K I'm going to let it be known its a decent fim. Not perfect but fun and very good. especially if you like noir.

The harsh critics that troll these indie movies are misleading and its like they saw a totally different movie than I did and if Id read these 1 star or two star reviews or whatever insults they said about the movie I would have missed a great little movie. No I dont write reviews here like they do so I am non in the movie or suspect just because I wanted to say I liked the movie I just hate seeing lies and insults.

Don't believe these reviews all the time I guess I see they wrote bad reviews of all the movies they saw. Anyway, my two cents.

An intriguing and fun noir homage

[MBsMidnightGeeks · 6/10 · 13 April 2022]

Trouble is my Business is an intriguing thriller set in 1947 as PI Roland Drake gets drawn into the mysterious Montemar family's secrets, following meetings with two Montemar sisters, with some Russians and archaeology thrown in to the intriguing mix.

There are a few suspects to the crimes, with some clues a bit on the nose but I really enjoyed it. It's a fun homage to noir cinema, the makers obviously have a lot of love for this genre. I watched it in black and white which I think suits it better.

Trouble was I've wasted my life to watch this crap

[MovieIQTest · 7 April 2018]

Yeah, what a load of crap! Fooled me with a jargon of "Neo Noir". You don't have to be that stupid to use some saxophone soundtrack to tell people this film is a NOIR, NOIR, NOIR. The private eye does not have to be always in a jam, down and out in L.A. and couldn't afford the rent and got 30 days pay or out eviction notice.

Jesus, this film just looked so pathetically pretentious and ridiculous. More like adapted from a lousy comic book or a children's book. A horrible fantasy for the brain dead adults. Absurd screenplay, scenarios and plots. Nothing is right. A complete waste of time. Like watched a lousy poor staged play in a theater. Characters are all comic, over-the-top costumes and make up. A missing person case or several murder cases, who cares! Don't forget to pay your 2017 income tax and your property tax before the deadlines, they are more important than wasting your time and money to watch this stupid Neo Noir film.

Loved this indie movie

[jacksthoughts · 9/10 · 5 September 2018]

This was such a fun movie. I came on there to look stuff up. I had to write a few review thoughts here so hopefully a few people will take a shot like I did. The film s first and foremost fun and true to the genre. The acting and actors are TERRIFIC in their roles. Its tightly directed and the story was genuinely interesting. I like to roll the dice and try something new sometimes and watch a movie Ive never heard of and me and the person I was watching it with both said 'This is actually good. Where'd this come from?" while we were watching. Its got everything a fan of noir could ask for. Worth picking this movie up

Dont believe the 1 star bots

[peterpasquale · 5 May 2018]

This movie is awesome. It was filmed on a shoestring and you won't notice. There are plot twists and suprised and you will love it

A memorable crime noir

[cbax123 · 8/10 · 15 February 2020]

I really enjoyed this film. The reviews seem quite polarizing but I guess I'm on the favorable side. It was surprisingly funny and did a great job of paying homage to the genre but also making it it's own and adding to it. A solid indie noir.

I Feel Bad For This Good Little Indie Film

[scottwhittiger · 9/10 · 8 April 2018]

\So the people who made this are getting flamed with harsh rating etc because we are new here trying to help it and people decide to scare everyone away from watching the film because the low rating reviewers are mean and petty.

At a screening and online this week the filmmaker asked audiences to sign up for IMDB and rate it if you liked it. Which I am doing now, but I discovered that they are getting the opposite effect as it seems like people are deciding people like me who like it must be "fake" because we are new or like it and the opposite is happening for the film comments and ratings are ridiculously low which is sad. So is it people who haven't seen the film are purposely punishing it with crappy reviews for being liked by people trying to help who dont do this crap usually and that sucks. The story and movie are professional and I liked it. Did they see it. Are they screwing over these people just because they can?

I bet they never watched the movie at all because the bad reviews have not one detail just ripping this movie or people a new one. no one could be coming here on week could just give a shoutout? it just started showing and deserves some help cause its good and they explained how they made it with what they could at the Q&A So user reviewers decide this doesnt deserve a chance so they scare people off with review comments I guess. This is the only review Im bothering with to help them out. I liked the movie, the look of it, the sound the acting and stuff are good.

I am QUITE sure this is the opposite effect than when the director and people at the screening intended to have it appeciated gets it flamed hard

I went to said please sign up and write a review. I don't normally do it but frankly I liked it. I liked the Roland Drake story and how they created a noir story of him falling for a woman who might be very bad for everyone. The whole diamond and information themes were cool. The movie is fun and well acted so I don't get the hate but I guess no one figures we who don't live on this website would show up to help out the little guys who made a good movie.

It doesn't deserve the hate its not awful at all, i don't do review stuff but I was motivated when I read the crappy comments to think that's the opposite of their well intentioned online plea to have me comment and rate if i liked it. Guess some users are as mean and cynical as...a noir

It work a cheap online rental, the crowd I saw it with loved it and get the black and white discs which I think are even cooler to watch

Film Noir!

[theladylay · 10/10 · 9 July 2019]

A wonderful tongue-in-cheek homage to film noir! I love this genre and this is well written. Bravo to Mr. Konkle!

Stylish modern film noir

[idarbo · 10/10 · 17 February 2020]

A detective, his office, two femmes fatales, smoke, borsalinos, dialogues in a static car with moving backgrounds, angled camera work and some dramatic extreme close-ups. Trouble is My Business is an impeccably mastered tribute to the noir genre. I loved the composition of shots and the editing style, this guy really studied the masters and gave an original take on the detective/crime movie.

Brilliantl ReNoir!

[henrydevilleschild · 10/10 · 30 March 2021]

This film I simply loved! Brilliant Re-Noir! As this has all the elements of classic noire from the 40s, altered perspective camera angles, striking shadowy visuals, bourbon soaked detective dialogue, the seedy underbelly of the pumping and grinding city. Totally loved this. Definitely has a feel of Vertigo but it also is reminiscent of A touch of evil, though it has an originality all of its own, wonderfully creative, a true gem!

Classic elements

[jimtolano · 9/10 · 3 April 2018]

It's interesting how stories stick with you. This one stuck with me for days.

The story is a classic noir setup. Gumshoe down on his luck meets a pretty brunette at his office, sleeps with her, wakes up to blood in his bed but no body, and gets visited by the brunette's blonde sister wielding a gun, wondering what happened to her sister. It gets messier from here, as is the norm with noir. In noir, the story was never simple, even if the sets were. The gumshoe Roland Drake is a Marlowe-esque character and you feel for him and his predicament. He's had a string of unfortunate things happen and while he has certainly retained his sarcasm, his failure to write his own happy ending makes him melancholy. He obviously still longs for that happy ending, which is why he falls hard for the blonde, despite having misgivings about the case and the blonde's weird family. There are some laughs and there is some violence and there's certainly drama, but in my mind this is ultimately a story of romance, albeit not a typical one. To me this is mostly a story of the gumshoe's struggle between his romanticism and the cynicism brought on by his experience. In the end, one must prevail. The struggle of romanticism vs cynicism is timeless and that's the part that always gets to me, and as a result I keep thinking back to this story and my empathy buttons keep getting pushed. There are some really loathsome characters in this story, and while they can't be excused, some of the villainous actions could be seen as reactionary, or at the very least inescapable. The parable of the frog and the scorpion comes to mind.

The acting was solid throughout. Some familiar faces as well, if not big names. Steve Tom got a lot of laughs from me (he's one of those guys I keep seeing everywhere). I haven't actually seen Vernon Wells in anything since The Road Warrior, despite his lengthy resume, but it was fun to see him gleefully chew up all the scenery, both real and virtual. Which brings me to the production values.

I knew going in that this was going to be a low budget indie so I knew I wasn't expecting The Avengers level production values. But what these guys pulled off on a shoestring budget and a tiny crew is pretty amazing. From what I've seen practically every scene in this film features a virtual set or set extensions of some kind. Which is understandable given the 1940s setting, but mind blowing given the small budget. I can't imagine it being easy to pull off a period piece where a large city like Los Angeles is the primary backdrop, without having tens of millions of dollars just for the production design and visual effects.

Is this a perfect film? Of course not. No film is. But it is entertaining and the story stuck with me. What more can I ask for?

Well Worth it!!!

[js1906 · 9/10 · 23 February 2020]

I really did not know what to expect when I watched the trailer for this film. But the trailer gives you a good indication of what to expect in the film. The cinematography is very good and the fact that it is shot in black and white really helps the character of the entire film. The acting is good and that helps the suspense to build throughout the film. The cast was well put together and their energy was great. I would highly recommend this film to see if you like old throwback classic 1950's films.

A Fun Throwback Noir That Combines a Modern Look with an Old School Feel

[dfranklin-41821 · 8/10 · 22 February 2020]

As someone who loves old school detective movies, I was pleasantly surprised to come across an indie version of an old school noir. The team behind this film has clearly done their homework, and they pull out all the stops when it comes to paying homage to the films that inspired this one while still putting an original spin on their version of this style of storytelling.

Great film with that nostalgic classic film feel!!

[theparanormalcritic72 · 8/10 · 22 February 2020]

I love watching old movies and this director did a very good job bringing back the look and feel of those classics!! Definitely worth the watch!!

Fun take on Noir 40's films!

[beemtoaustin · 8/10 · 2 December 2020]

I'm guessing the writer/director likes the movie "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" as much or even more than I do. For an indie flick, Trouble's production values are much higher than usual, even impressive, and it's great to discover another homage to the Noir Film Era that lives up to the genre's cynicism, fatalism, and moral ambiguity. Give this one a shot. All the awards well deserved.