Review of Inherent Vice (2014) by Tyler T — 14 Jan 2015

It's understandable that an adaptation of a Thomas Pynchon novel would prove rambling and utterly incoherent. However, as quirky, funny, and compelling as this movie can sometimes be, it is ultimately an over-long, self-indulgent romp.

It is a good movie in terms of its character-study aspect, with a cast of distinctive, outrageous figures, from the scene-stealing Josh Brolin to the coked-out Martin Short to the perplexing Owen Wilson.

Joaquin Phoenix is perfectly cast and brilliant as the perpetually stoned, paranoid, and confused P.I. protagonist. Additionally, the cinematography and soundtrack lend themselves perfectly to the setting and atmosphere of the "story.

" It just seems that Paul Thomas Anderson exhausted his style with this film. His style has always been a very well-executed and compelling one, but perhaps some bad decisions were made with this movie.

It should have been maybe 45 minutes to an hour shorter than it was, and at points it was so disorienting that it became tiresome. It seemed, to me, that Anderson was trying too hard to force his style upon Inherent Vice, and that in doing so overdid it, and got carried away to a point of disunity.

It's a weird, crazy, and incredibly funny movie (at times), which goes along with the material that it's adapting, but overall it became self-indulgent and, admittedly, boring as hell.