Paul Thomas Anderson, not to be confused
with his diametrically opposite number Paul W.S. Anderson, is one of those
film-makers who may not be particularly prolific but whose movies are always
anxiously anticipated by cinephiles for their originality and unique
vision. ‘Inherent Vice’ is the seventh
film from the director who brought us ‘Boogie Nights,’ ‘There Will Be Blood’
and ‘The Master’ and might just be his boldest and most daring yet.
Based on the 2009 novel by Thomas Pynchon, ‘Inherent Vice’ is a neo-noir film that’s aptly described as “Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe by way of Cheech and Chong.” That’s because its protagonist, former cop-turned-PI “Doc” Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix in another fine performance) is a pot-head beach bum sporting long hair and face-hugging sideburns that would do Wolverine proud. But don’t let the slacker façade and drug-induced incoherence fool you; he is a sharp cookie (some of the time) and a capable Private Investigator. Set in Los Angeles during 1970, the plot is a convoluted mess involving the disappearance of a real estate developer, murder, Sportello’s hippie ex-flame, cops, feds, a sax player-turned-informant, something called the “Golden Fang” (which may be a sinister drug laundering operation, a dentist organization created for tax purposes or simply a boat), free love and, of course, lots of dope, weed and pot consumption (quite literally in one scene involving Detective “Bigfoot” Bjornsen played by Josh Brolin). It’s 1970, man, get over it.
Based on the 2009 novel by Thomas Pynchon, ‘Inherent Vice’ is a neo-noir film that’s aptly described as “Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe by way of Cheech and Chong.” That’s because its protagonist, former cop-turned-PI “Doc” Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix in another fine performance) is a pot-head beach bum sporting long hair and face-hugging sideburns that would do Wolverine proud. But don’t let the slacker façade and drug-induced incoherence fool you; he is a sharp cookie (some of the time) and a capable Private Investigator. Set in Los Angeles during 1970, the plot is a convoluted mess involving the disappearance of a real estate developer, murder, Sportello’s hippie ex-flame, cops, feds, a sax player-turned-informant, something called the “Golden Fang” (which may be a sinister drug laundering operation, a dentist organization created for tax purposes or simply a boat), free love and, of course, lots of dope, weed and pot consumption (quite literally in one scene involving Detective “Bigfoot” Bjornsen played by Josh Brolin). It’s 1970, man, get over it.
Despite its confused and
meandering pot, err, I mean plot, ‘Inherent Vice’ is weirdly entertaining and
darkly funny in its own way, with numerous references from 'Adam 12' and
'Gilligan's Island' to Jesus's Last Supper.
To fully enjoy this movie, you must take a leap of faith and allow yourself
to be swept along on its psychedelic trip to Nowhereville. Don’t work too hard asking so many questions
or try to connect the dots because you’ll only become increasingly
frustrated. Things will become ‘clear’
in the end. Better yet, smoke a few
joints while you’re at it with some friends for increased effect. Just kidding.
Grade: A
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