Review of Inherent Vice (2014) by Adlai N — 31 May 2015

At what point in a movie does a plot become so muddled and crazy that it doesn't really mean anything in the end? Inherent Vice is a film unlike any other where the narrative is not important in the grand scheme of things and the spacy setting and assorted unique characters gives you everything you need to know. Purposely hard to follow, it presents a time capsule of an era long gone and an age where some are drastically trying to hold onto. Truly special and bizarre to those who dare to let it wash over you, it's an experience that one would not soon forget.

Inherent Vice is based on Thomas Pynchon's novel of the same name and is set in the waning days of the 60s in the fictional city of Gordita Beach in Los Angeles. Larry "Doc" Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) is a trippy private eye and hippie who imbibes in marijuana and generally hangs out while taking on various cases that get thrown his way. Out of the blue his ex-old lady Shasta Fay Hepworth (Katherine Waterston) comes to his beachside home and tells him about her boyfriend Michael Z. "Mickey" Wolfmann (Eric Roberts) and his wife's Sloane (Serena Scott Thomas) and her boyfriend's plan to put him in an insane asylum with Doc being tasked to put a stop to it.

Mickey is a ruthless land developer and a Jew who wants to be a Nazi and surrounds himself with Nazi bikers for protection. As Doc takes on the case, it gets blown open as it begins to get riddled with nefarious characters who have their own agenda like a hardnosed cop who has a distaste for all things hippie Det. Christian F. "Bigfoot" Bjornsen (James Brolin), a saxophone player who was once presumed dead Coy Harlingen (Owen Wilson), a wild, drug addled dentist Dr. Rudy Blatnoyd (Martin Short), Aryan bikers, a cult and a mysterious entity known as The Golden Fang which may be a tax dodge for dentists or a drug smuggling ring.

The cast assembled is the most expansive and random for a Paul Thomas Anderson film. Many actors have relatively small parts that lie in the background but generally have importance to the overall tone of the film. This runs counteractively against Andersons earlier films like Boogie Nights and Magnolia where seemingly everyone was front and center and constantly delivered and his later films like The Master and There Will Be Blood where there was a smaller main cast and a small number of actors dominated the screen throughout. People come and go in a breeze and aren't really brought up later or referred too. But everyone basically performed rather well with a few standing out among the rest.

Phoenix was out of this world as a spaced out private eye and his endearing goofiness made for a pleasurable experience. He looked like he had a blast playing Doc and didn't portray him as a basic one note character. The revelations and surprises come to him naturally as his paranoia and hallucinations ramped up more and more in the film. Phoenix is very much a chameleon like actor who completely transports himself into the role and always puts out something different and original. But Doc may be his most entertaining to date as you can't help but find joy as he tries to put the pieces together in a complicated case where nothing is as it seems while always looking for the next joint.

Even though he is spaced out of his mind on pot, he is more intelligent than anyone initially realizes and slowly puts everything together in the end, much to the chagrin of Bigfoot who blows off his clues in the case as mere pot induced ramblings of a wonked out stoner goof. Doc ranks as one of Andersons more iconic characters that rival Daniel Plainview, Dirk Diggler and Lancaster Dodd. All men who seek to control a certain part of the world by any means necessary. But Doc doesn't want control like these men nor does he have an ego like them and would rather just let things fall as they may while always trying to do the best thing.

He had great chemistry with Brolin and produced a love/hate relationship with Bigfoot. The contrasting styles made for some great scenes with one thinking one thing and the other thinking the complete opposite where they eventually meet in the middle. It's kind of sweet that Bigfoot actually cares for Doc despite being so negative towards him and doesn't allow himself to get close to him. You could tell how alone he is and is in need of a friend but decides to shut himself away, not realizing that Doc may be the best friend he really has at the moment. Bigfoot is one of the more interesting characters who seem to be hiding something or running away from his inner demons. It's hard to get a good read on him since he is so standoffish, tight lipped and conservative. But it also makes you drawn to him even more as he is very complex.

Corrupt and hell bent on ridding the world of hippies, he takes out all of his anger and frustration on Doc for all the wrongs in the world. Brolin makes for a great consummate tough guy and steals many scenes in the process. Hepworth also made for some amazing chemistry with Phoenix as the former old lady to Doc. Sexy and demure, she made for a great femme fatale and the woman that Doc continuously pines for long after their breakup. Hepworth showed to be the perfect anchor for Doc and his perilous journey. She was the one that Doc continuously looked for and wanted to make sure that she was ok. She delivered an amazing monologue that described her damaged and warped relationship with Mickey, while trying to give penance for all the wrongs that she has done to Doc.

It was somber and depressing while being one of the more honest performances in the film. It's not surprising that Shasta and Bigfoot, two of the more important characters only interacted with Doc throughout the entire film, presenting two people that he can't hide or get away from no matter how far or distant they are. They proved to be toxic for Doc with Shasta guiding him to an interweaved plot of madness and deception and Bigfoot shutting him down whenever he gets the chance. But they do eventually come to Doc in the end which is rather sweet. Various other actors come and go as they please but nevertheless make an impression.

Doc's girlfriend and DA, Penny Kimball (Reese Witherspoon), Docs maritime lawyer Sauncho Smilax, Esq. (Benicio del Toro), Docs friend Sortilège (Joanna Newsom), Docs assistant Petunia Leeway (Maya Rudolph), Sloane Wolfmann (Serena Scott Thomas), a prostitute Jade (Hong Chau), a member of a black revolutionary group Tariq Khalil (Michael K. Williams), Coy Harlingen (Owen Wilson) all deliver with their respective roles even if some are only there for a single scene. Del Toro even has some experience as a lawyer to a kooky character as he played Dr. Gonzo, the drug addled lawyer to Raoul Duke in Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas. But Martin Short makes the most out of short screen time as a gonzo dentist who loves cocaine. He makes for a great eccentric with his comedic timing perfect for a role as bizarre as this. There are segments where a character does their part to be memorable and then the film moves on to something else, but you still remember the great acting and the character from before even if it was only for a moment.

Director Paul Thomas Anderson has always made films his way and makes sure to say something different each and every time. He never resorts to cheap gimmicks or rehashed stories and makes sure to make an impact each time. Given that, Inherent Vice stands to be his most out there, bizarre and crazy film he has ever done. It goes nowhere like you would expect but by the time you finish watching it, it went exactly as you expected and couldn't see it going anywhere else. Different in so many ways from his earlier films, it easily stands out on its own and doesn't try to be anything else than a random and bizarre tale where the things that you thought mattered don't and the more important things lie beneath the surface.

Nowhere near as linear as say There Will Be Blood or Punch-Drunk Love, it goes out of its way to throw any semblance of a coherent story out the window. It could have had a more conclusive and complete story that most audiences would understand, but then again it wouldn't be anywhere near as unique and would more than likely be rather boring. It may be that I have only seen it once, but there aren't as many memorable scenes or sequences like his past films. I can't recall a scene in Inherent Vice that rivaled the brilliance and tension of the drug dealing scene in Boogie Nights, Daniel Plainview's vivisection of Eli in There Will Be Blood or the cast of Magnolia singing Aimee Mann's Wise Up.

But that will change in time when I get around to seeing it and know what to expect. This is exactly what everyone should do if they didn't really get it the first time. Inherent Vice practically begs to be seen again and allowed to be seen from another angle and point of view. It's impossible to fully gather the entire scope of this film in one setting and understand it completely. And many of Anderson's films are like that where it needs plenty of attention and simmering to fully realize what one has just seen. There is simply too much to go over and it understandably bogs the mind down and viewers who are trying to follow it closely. But therein lays the main problem with audience's perception.

It's not made to be followed closely and it wasn't made to have a coherent plot and story. The plot is basically of no importance as it quickly disintegrates the longer the movie rolls on. Plot devices get thrown at you from various directions and you struggle to think what the point is. But not everything needs to have a reason or a point to be shown on screen. Some things happen for whatever reason and one has to merely accept that there are things that make no sense at all. One has to basically let themselves go while watching and appreciate the acting, characters and how they try to achieve happiness. Many of these characters are sad people, lost within themselves and go out in search of happiness to attain it. It's never as easy as many of the characters get mired in loneliness and realize their faults where it already is too late.

Like Doc Sportello, it grooves to its own beat and doesn't care for other trivial matters. With Inherent Vice, it's not about the destination and seeing things get wrapped up in a tiny little bow. It's all about the drive and the weird characters you meet along the way that make this film so memorable. The little things and nuances that are sprinkled throughout add to its hippie aesthetic and trippy demeanor to make a wholly pleasurable experience that I wouldn't mind taking again. I could see this film becoming more appreciated as the years go by where people pick up on things that they haven't realized before.

The script by Anderson was very wordy which makes sense given that it's adapted from a book, but my mind couldn't catch up with the litany of conversations throughout. It would have helped if I could have had close captions along with the film. But I would have to wait several months before it goes on DVD. Many have thought that it would be nearly impossible to adapt this into a film and I could see why. The story starts off basic enough but then it goes off the rails into utter lunacy. The general gist of it is easy to follow and understand but trying to figure out Mickeys kidnapping, the Golden Fang and the assorted characters is pointless. It's basically full of red herrings where the things you thought were important weren't important at all and then some people feel duped because there was no conclusion from the buildup that they thought would lead to something.

The script made for some great confrontations and interactions that were never not amusing or entertaining. It has its own weird sense of humor and uniquely goofy tone that I found endearing and charming. There was more than enough to sift through to get something entertaining from the script. I loved the noir feel to it and the twist to the detective genre with an unlikely hero thrust in the middle of an increasing complex conspiracy. In the same vein of The Big Lebowski with stoner icon The Dude caught in his own kidnapping case, but way more unhinged and free. It worked far better than I thought it would and the mix of genres and tones made for something that may not be seen for a long while. I liked the narration by Joanna Newsom and it gave Inherent Vice that needed noir feeling, telling the audience the details of the story and guiding the film along. With many noirs voiced by gruff tough guys, it sounded great to hear a woman narrate over the proceedings and made it that much more chill and relaxed. Her voice was very angelic and easy to listen too.

The cinematography by frequent Anderson collaborator Robert Elswit, like all of Anderson's films was excellent. How the camera follows characters and stays with them made the impact of their emotions and developments all the more palpable and real. The soundtrack was also top notch and surely one of the best all year. I love the assorted 60s soundtrack and really got you into the mood and tone of the film. You could almost chill out and light up a joint, grooving to the great tunes. Here Comes the Ho-Dads by The Marketts as well as Minnie Riperton's Les Fleur are standouts among a great assortment of 60s classics. The score by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood was moody with a feeling of dread right around the corner and the notion that death is always knocking at ones door while also being sweet and moving. The setting, design, costumes, hair were all true to form and felt like you were there, taking in all the pot smoke, paranoia and beach air that is very present throughout the film. It may be the closest I could get to visit the end of the hippie era despite not being alive for it.

You won't find a tripper, more polarizing film than Inherent Vice and Paul Thomas Anderson wouldn't have it any other way. He seeks out rich and engrossing characters and situations rather a coherent plot and conclusive stories which makes his films too out there for many audiences. But sometimes too out there is just what some people need instead of the same old that many have seen before. The hazy, pot fueled machinations of all involved made for something that doesn't beg to be understood which may be too much for people to bear who need things spelt out for them. Beneath the smoke lays something that is substantial and revels in its outright silliness and complexities. The reasons for everything that happened never were meant to be revealed as it says basically nothing but also says everything at the same time. It may be too much for one to handle but if one can handle the two and half hour run time and the extended high will eventually find something worthwhile and come out more than a little buzzed. Four big hits from a good joint out of five.