Where's Marlowe (R) No Rating

Unsold television pilots can sometimes find a second life. Usually, a network might air one as filler during the summer. Occasionally, one gets a theatrical release (the Oscar-winning short "Dear Diary" originated as a sitcom pilot). Almost never does one get expanded into a feature film -- until now.

In 1996, writers Daniel Pyne and John Mankiewicz concocted the daring and fascinating premise of the life and times of a private investigator as seen through the lens of documentary filmmakers. Predating "The Blair Witch Project" and its handheld camera work, the 1996 pilot impressed some executives at Paramount but was rejected by ABC.

Still, Kerry McCluggage, head of Paramount's television group, remained high on the idea and nearly two years later decided that the one-hour pilot should be expanded into a motion picture. Surprisingly, most of the principal players on both sides of the camera were available, and "Where's Marlowe" the pilot became "Where's Marlowe" the movie.

Pyne (who also directed) and Mankiewicz were able to seamlessly interweave the original footage. By creating a back story for filmmakers Wilt and A.J. (played by rapper Mos Def, formerly known as Dante Beze, and John Livingston) and showing clips from their three-hour, black-and-white documentary "Watering the Apple (How New Yorkers Get Their Water)", Pyne and Mankiewicz simultaneously send up pretentious filmmaking and the film festivals that might show such an opus.

While it is at first jarring -- the audience may feel it has stumbled into the wrong theater -- it succeeds in setting the tone for what follows. When the documentarians head to Los Angeles to follow the hard-boiled detectives Joe Boone (a marvelously deadpan Miguel Ferrer) and Murphy (the stalwart John Slattery), the film really kicks into gear. With open access to the comings and goings in the office, the film (and the film within the film) scrutinizes the inner workings of the office, from the struggle to pay the bills to the mundane cases ranging from finding missing pets to tracking straying spouses.

It's a case of the latter that becomes the crux of the film, but the "mystery" is less important than the growing bond between Boone and the filmmakers. When Murphy turns up dead, A.J and Wilt take turns being the partner. In having to move from the stance of impartial observers viewing everything through a lens to active participants in their own movie, "Where's Marlowe" takes on deeper dimensions.

Anchoring the film is Ferrer's intriguing performance, which runs the gamut from bravado while playing to the cameras to quiet moments of introspection. He receives fine support from the all-too-briefly-seen Slattery, Livingston and Mos Def as the documentarians who learn lessons of partnership and Allison Dean as Boone's no-nonsense secretary.

While it would be hard to maintain the quirky and engaging tone set by "Where's Marlowe" on a weekly basis, Pyne and Mankiewicz have managed to craft an entertaining and original film.

*MPAA rating: R, for language and a scene of sexuality.

"Where's Marlowe"

Miguel Ferrer: Joe Boone

John Livingston: A.J. Edison

John Slattery: Murphy

Mos Def: Wilton Crawley

Allison Dean: Angela

A Paramount presentation. Director Daniel Pyne. Screenplay John Mankiewicz. Producer Clayton Townsend. Director of Photography Greg Gardiner. Editor Les Butler. Music Michael Convertino. Production Designer Gareth Stover. Art Director Chris Cornwell. Costume Designer Mary Zophres. Sound Bob Jackson and Marc Steinbeck. Running time: 1 hour, 37 minutes.