Review of Inherent Vice (2014) by Seth K — 26 Jan 2015

Let me first start off by saying that I am not and will not ever be a die hard fan of Paul Thomas Anderson. His films really drive home many confusing undertones throughout them, and this film is no exception.

"Inherent Vice" is about many things, a lot of which will require a second viewing to fully grasp. Paying full attention when I viewed this picture, I can truthfully say that I understood the film about half of the time, which is a very frustrating movie experience.

Joaquin Phoenix is great as the leading man, as is every secondary character, but each film plays as a setup for the next and while you will be focussing on dialogue in scenes that reference scenes before that, you will eventually begin to get lost in the script.

However, the dialogue in this film is extremely well-written, making for a very funny execution. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, but it is too off-beat to warrant any kind of recommendation unless you are a fan of this director's work.

Overall, "Inherent Vice" is a stylish, yet overly plotty film that just didn't hit me as hard as I had hoped.