Paint It Noir - The New York Times Displaying a near-smothering fascination with 1940s noir, "Cut to Black" is a mildly engaging lowlife odyssey that struggles not to choke on its own style. Aiming for moody and landing firmly on glum, the story (by the director, Dan Eberle) follows Bill (Mr. Eberle again), a private investigator and former New York detective. Somewhere between the two vocations, he accumulated a felony conviction, an alcohol addiction and numerous debts; now he enjoys regular pizza and fornication with his landlord's wife and suffers ominous nosebleeds at inopportune moments. All that's missing is the broken-down tootsie who badly needs rescuing. Not for long, though, as here comes Jessica (Jillaine Gill), an alabaster stripper who gyrates behind glass at a kinky sex club. Jessica has a sick stalker, a shady boyfriend and an estranged father willing to pay Bill a bundle to protect her from both. Needing the cash and the redemption, Bill obligingly staggers through a needlessly convoluted plot - propelled by his own hard-boiled narration and perpetually doleful countenance - before finally washing up by the bedside of a pustular blonde. All together now: "What?" More high homage than actual movie, "Cut to Black" is nevertheless weirdly diverting, mostly because of the impressive black-and-white cinematography of James Parsons. Delivering a saturated aesthetic that manages to transcend the film's tonal inertia and restricted budget, Mr. Parsons gives life to cold flesh and bleak dialogue. His talent, and Mr. Eberle's depressed performance, gradually win you over; they just take far too long to do it.