former private eye turn security guard ditch his late drone job and be immediately offer a chance to return to his previous profession . his assignment represent to tail a mysterious french woman newly arrive in california . and apparently want by suit and tie racketeer . unsuccessful attempt to update the film noir genre and without enough sting or wit ( or involve plot dynamic ) in the screenplay . director and co scenarist paul magwood ( who later claim the picture be edit without his involvement ) doesn not give off the impression of have high regard for the 40 film his chandler be bear from while his nostalgia be appropriately rumpled and but also bitter ting and somewhat indifferent . the handling be curiously and commendably low keyed and and warren oates be well cast a this 70 variant on the private dick archetype and but the movie doesn not have any snap . nice to see leslie caron and gloria grahame in the cast though neither have much to do and and caron hot and cold running character be exasperate throughout . vivid cinematography by alan stensvold and nice location shooting and but it fail to come to any kind of a boil . half from .