Inherent Vice:
It's 1970, and the paranoia that circulated the country at the time was in full swing in Los Angeles (this was after the Manson murders, after all). Larry "Doc" Sportello is a hippie dopehead and private investigator whose ex-old lady Shasta Fay Hepworth comes seeking Doc's help. Shasta claims she is having an affair with real estate mogul Mickey Wolfmann, whose wife Sloane, and her lover, plan to have Mickey kidnapped and thrown into an insane asylum. Doc reluctantly agrees, and in true noir fashion, the plot quickly thickens and Doc realizes he has unraveled a complex conspiracy and is way in over his head. It also doesn't help that Doc's heavy drug use and general paranoia have made having hallucinations in the middle of all this a possibility.
This is so different than any other of Anderson's works that I can't really recommend it to fans of his per se, but I will say this is a very entertaining and fun movie. It's almost Pulp Fiction-esque, though I wouldn't recommend it to people looking for the next Tarantino film, either. It falls into this strange middle ground, and judging by the reactions of my fellow theater goers after the film, it appears this is going to be a movie that divides people into a "kind of liked it" or "kind of didn't like it" category. I think saying "love it" or "hate it" is a bit too strong for this movie, because it has certain aspects I think everyone can appreciate on some level. Such as the acting.
The casting for this movie was spot-on. Joaquin Phoenix is the perfect fit for the role of Doc. He's able to be very likable and funny, but also just weird and detached from reality. Not as dark or as powerful as his role in The Master, but still something I think could be potentially Oscar-worthy. Katherine Waterson is terrific as Shasta. Though she isn't given all that much to do, she is able to have some good romantic chemistry with Phoenix. Josh Brolin shows up as Lieutenant Christian "Bigfoot" Bjornsen, Doc's main rival and police contact in the film. They have some excellent comedic chemistry and Brolin definitely plays the gruff, overworked cop role well. Owen Wilson is perfectly cast as a former sax player/drug addict drifter named Coy Harlingen, who can be pretty funny, but also is able to deliver some good dramatic moments. The supporting cast, packed with actors like Benicio del Toro, Jena Malone, Michael K. Williams (The Wire, Boardwalk Empire), Reese Witherspoon, Maya Rudolph, Michelle Sinclair (a porn actress), Eric Roberts, Jeannie Berlin, Martin Short, Hong Chau, Serena Scott Thomas, and Martin Donovan, are pretty great, although some bigger names, like del Toro, Malone, Williams, Rudolph, Witherspoon, and Short have roles so minor they border on cameo status.
The writing for the film is funny and off-beat, but never feels like it over-indulges in its' quirkiness, and never relies too heavily on pop culture references from the 1960's and 70's (though the Manson murders are mentioned frequently). The overall plot is very much like a classic noir film, and although it can get too complicated at times, I feel it'll be more rewarding from multiple viewings. What I can say about this film that will make it appealing to a more general audience is that it's not as slow as PTA's other recent works. It's not exactly "fast paced", but it doesn't drag its' feet as much as There Will Be Blood or The Master.
The trailer for this movie captures the overall tone pretty well, but I felt the way it described the plot was very misleading. At first I was confused about this, but then I realized they didn't want to go too deep into the plot, as it would spoil a lot of the reveals.
The soundtrack for this movie was a pretty excellent selection of late 60's/early 70's songs such as "Wonderful World" by Sam Cooke, "Vitamin C" by Can, "I Want to Take You Higher" by Sly & The Family Stone, "Any Day Now" by Chuck Jackson, and "Journey Through the Past" by Neil Young. The original score by Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead (who composed the music for PTA's previous two films as well as We Need to Talk About Kevin) is fair enough, and not as subdued as The Master's, and not as intriguing as There Will Be Blood's. Much like the Guardians of the Galaxy score, the original music takes a backseat to the pre-recorded tunes.
The cinematography didn't exactly wow me the way it had in PTA's other films. It doesn't have nearly as many long takes, although when they show up it is appreciated, and is shot in more standard close-up shots and profile shots. Not to detract from the movie's style, however. This definitely feels like a crazy 70's crime film, but made with the resources filmmakers have at their disposal today, and I see this playing at late-night screenings at cinemas and on college campuses in the years to come.
Inherent Vice may not be for everyone, but it's definitely an interesting film that I want to watch again right after seeing it, much like other PTA films. The neon-tinted look of the movie and killer soundtrack, coupled with the superb performances and oddball characters and humor make this a unique movie that does justice to the source material. It has the potential to develop a cult following, which I'll be glad to be a part of if it holds up on my second viewing. I can certainly say I liked it the first time around, and it makes for an interesting conversational piece, as it seems everyone has a starkly different reaction to it. 4/5 stars.
(Image: Wikipedia)
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