Review of Inherent Vice (2014) by Mind F — 11 Feb 2015

"Absolute Garbage" would be a more apposite title.This is without doubt the worst film by a consistently excellent director that it's ever been my misfortune to sit through. Reviews always include the proviso that Pynchon's a writer whose books have hitherto been regarded as un-filmable.

Too bloody right - and this confirms the assessment in spades. There's no real characterisation and a convoluted story-line that could hardly be considered a plot; not that either of those omissions is guaranteed to make a film unwatchable.

The absence of both certainly does. I spent the time yawning and glancing at my watch. Incredibly boring. Furthermore the "art house" cinema in which I watched this (let's name names: The Duke of York's, Brighton, UK) has such a sh!t sound system that all the mid-range is muddied to the point where the principle character's mumbling was literally incomprehensible.

I missed fully 15% of the dialog - and maybe much more. Not that I imagine this was the kiss of death, which was already being administered.