Review of Inherent Vice (2014) by Quade C — 17 Aug 2015

More Incoherent Vice than Inherent Vice in my opinion and whilst I didn't understand much of what was going on I did enjoy certain aspects of it especially Josh Brolin and Joaquin Phoenix's performances.

Supreme stoner and all round druggie Doc (Phoenix) is a private investigator in the hippy 70s (I think, might be the 60s) who is visited by an old girlfriend who informs him of a complex plot to abduct her rich property tycoon boyfriend. This plan is being hatched by the tycoon's wife and her boyfriend and things start to get confusing from this point (i.e. the beginning) and this doesn't really change throughout. Throw in an overly aggressive loner cop (Brolin), Docs occasional girlfriend from the D.A. (Reese Wetherspoon) and Docs bonkers lawyer who specialises in Maritime cases (Benicio Del Toro) and you have a bizarre mix.

With the exception of Magnolia (admittedly also weird with raining frogs) ive never been a big fan of Paul Thomas Andersons work. Especially the painfully pretentious The Master and ive always felt he is more of a director for the critics than the great unwashed.

The cast is great though and once again I didn't mind Owen Wilson in a film. I'm beginning to worry a little about this as he really isn't my cup of tea yet along with this and Grand Budapest Hotel and Midnight In Paris have been films that haven't made me feel like I want to running head-butt my TV. Ill take this as progress.