Trixie (2000) - Alan Rudolph

Trixie, a private detective with a 5th grade level education, has always dreamed of solving the big case.  Working as a casino security guard, Trixie finally gets her chance, unintentionally being thrown into the middle of  a series of events involving a dirty Senator, a crooked real estate mogul, and his sleazy girlfriend who ends up dead.  Along this strange journey, Trixie even finds romance with a suave, ladies-man Dex, who works for the real estate mogul.  The more films I see of Alan Rudolphs, the more I realize that he is a wholly original filmmaker whose films, regardless if they are hits or misses, deliver on being unique and worth watching for various reasons.  Trixie is no exception to this rule, being an incredibly bizarre comedy/drama that blends elements of detective story and screwball comedy into a truly unique experience.  Much of film's bizarre quality comes from the title character, a woman so stupid in the traditional sense that she rarely speaks a full sentence without bumbling words and misplacing their meanings.  Emma Watson is really great in this role, making Trixie a character in which the audience cares about and roots for, no matter her mental shortcomings.  The narrative of the film isn't all that interesting, full of the typical twists and turns of a detective story, but seeing Trixie go through these obstacles is what makes it engaging.  Watson isn't the only highlight, as Trixie is full of talented actors, none of which are more entertaining than Nick Nolte's portrayal of the corrupt, philandering senator.  Alan Rudoph's Trixie is probably my least favorite of his films I've seen but it features one of the most eccentric main protagonists I've ever seen, making it worth watching for those who are looking for something truly different from the norm.

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