This film tells an intriguing story which holds the viewer's interest, but I was left feeling that it would have benefited from a more serious, hard boiled approach. As it is, the director, screenplay writer, and lead actor Paul Carpenter all play it for laughs, so there is never any real sense of menace or tension. Some aspects of the story lack plausibility - for example the scene where the main character is trying to clear his name after being framed, but then proceeds to punch the detective in charge of the case in the face to avoid arrest. It's hard to understand the motivation for this, or to empathise with someone who would behave so self-destructively. If you approach the film as a comedy thriller, rather than a tense crime drama, any initial expectations are less likely to be disappointed.