Riffing on the gumshoe detectives of yesteryear, 1994’s Clean Slate, directed by Mick Jackson, is a bit like a comedic and much less complex version of Christopher Nolan’s Memento (2000).
Poor Maurice Pogue (Dana Carvey) has a lot going on in his life: a former LAPD detective, the private eye will soon be taking the stand. . . as he witnessed a murder by a notorious one-thumb-missing gangster, Philip Cornell (Michael Gambon) – who’s always accompanied by two menacing bodyguards (Mark Bringelson and Christopher Meloni); though the supposedly murdered woman, Sarah Novak (Valeria Golino), has returned looking for the PI’s help – or is she simply a well chosen lookalike; he’s in the midst of having an affair with Judy (Olivia D’Abo), the fiancée of his best friend, Rosenheim (Kevin Pollak) – the Assistant DA on the Novak murder case under John Dolby (James Earl Jones) – who has recently been shot, leaving him in a wheelchair; furthermore, he’s misplaced a seven million dollar coin that is at the centre of the entire case; not to mention his ex-wife cop, Paula (Jayne Brook), who has a new baby (that coincidentally looks like him) and a jealous police officer husband.
And this isn’t even his biggest problem. . . the big blast from the explosive murder and resulting head trauma has caused him to have a rare form of amnesia that makes him forget everything when he falls asleep. Thus, each evening before bed, he must make a record of his life so that he won’t be out of the loop the next morning.
Accompanied by his ocularly impaired dog, the roguish Pogue must tread a dangerous path. . . all while being completely oblivious to everything. Thankfully quick on his feet, his wit and disarming attitude helps him dodge danger, despite the fact he mistakes landlord for gangster, friend for foe, and his many flings for loyal partners.
Though never fully achieving its full potential, there are enough moving parts and several standout moments that help this one succeed. Centred on the hilarious climactic courtroom sequence when all of the moving pieces come together to great effect, there are two other scenes, one at a fashion show set in a museum, the other between Pogue and the man he assumes to be his landlord, that also bring the chuckles. Likewise, its cast features so many entertaining character actors, it’s hard to not love their performances (each bringing their respective A game). Also, keep an eye out for a scene with Bryan Cranston at a private club, as well as a blink and you’ll miss it ten seconds from Bob Odenkirk as one of the cops at Pogue’s surprise birthday party.
It also doesn’t hurt that the entire picture is backed by a swinging jazz score by Alan Silvestri, cleverly woven in by way of diegetic music performed by a blind musician (Robert Wisdom) who plays the number “These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)”, by the beach beside the staircase that leads to Pogue’s second story apartment/office. That same musician also starts the movie off by telling Pogue a joke. . . “Why don’t blind people skydive? It scares the f**k outta the dog.”. . . a gag that will weave its way through the piece in clever ways.
A zany, noir inspired comedy coming a year after the somewhat similar Groundhog Day, Clean Slate is a fun, frivolously cheeky crime caper. One of those films that was panned by critics but thoroughly enjoyed by fans, its combination of strong performances, quality score, and waggish comedic set pieces should appease those looking for a silly satire on crime conventions. So, don’t ‘stall’, make sure to put this uproarious affair in your memory bank for future viewing.