Inherent Vice (2014)

After such masterpieces like Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and There Will Be Blood, it's hard not to expect A LOT from every film coming from the mind of Paul Thomas Anderson. So obviously the standards were pretty damn high going into his newest film Inherent Vice, an adaptation of the Thomas Pynchon novel of the same name about a stoner private investigator who is investigating the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend, as well as a slew of other mysteries and disappearances that coincide with one another amid a cavalcade of characters whose names, careers, and orientations get a little bit tough to keep up with.

Inherent Vice isn't a bad movie by any means. I can only think of 3 reasons why some speak ill of this drug-fueled comedy/mystery/crime film. 1. The Characters: While main characters Doc, played by Joaquin Phoenix and Bigfoot, played by Josh Brolin, give award worthy performances, some might say that the supporting cast is too all over the place. While some people like Martin Short give scene- stealing performances, others like Reese Witherspoon have little to offer. 2. The Plot: The plot not only carries the movie, but even I think that it has flaws. New plot points keep getting added throughout and some don't go anywhere. Even the main plot seems to get lost in a sea of other issues leading to many unanswered questions. 3: Paul Thomas Anderson: No no no. I'm not saying he didn't do a good job with this movie. It's just that when audiences saw that his name was attached, it seems that their expectations went through the roof.


 It is very Big Lebowski" like as the main Character the "Doc" is a very likable loser who comes across all sorts of interesting and funny characters throughout the movie. Most of the dialogue between the big name actors (Brolin, Del Toro, Short, Witherspoon) is super funny but you either can not follow the plot at times or you just don't care enough about it for the none funny parts to remain interesting. I love the scenes with Phoenix and Brolin especially

Inherent Vice starts off incredibly well, piling on visual gags and a crazed narrative that's hazy like a drug fever dream, but it runs out of steam and has a running time that just can't support this material. For about an hour and a half the film is quite inspired, as our perpetually stoned lead gets sucked into a labyrinth plot and one bizarre and usually fantastic character after another is thrown at this drug addled mess. The film continues at least an hour well beyond what this narrative can sustain.

The nostalgia that is shown really sells to the overall fun of the film. Vintage cars, land-line phones, Adam-12, Richard Nixon, Afros, weed, sex, cult paranoia, and Rock 'n Roll are only some things that people who grew up in the era will recognize and get a smile from. I particularly enjoyed how Roger Elswit's cinematography captures the look of a movie from the 1970s. Shots are underexposed at night and never look lit. In result, there is sort of a natural look that almost makes the movie appear like an older film.

7.4/10-IMDb
69%-Rotten Tomatoes
81%-Metacritic
7.5/10-Verdict