INHERENT VICE (R)
Released by Warner Bros
Review by Adam Mast
INHERENT VICE might just be the most exquisite stoner movie ever made (yes, I used “stoner movie” and “exquisite” in the same sentence.) It’s a sprawling, complicated, convoluted, hazy, 70’s set noir/comedy and frankly, there were quite a few times throughout this film when the shifty tones and loose, erratic nature of the proceedings were so free flowing, I thought that maybe “Inherent Vice” was actually being directed by a stoner at the height of his baked glory. But then, perhaps this is all by design.
INHERENT VICE was written and directed by the great auteur, Paul Thomas Anderson (BOOGIE NIGHTS, MAGNOLIA, THERE WILL BE BLOOD), and it’s based on the book by Thomas Pynchon. While I’d be lying if I said that I was able follow everything that was going on in this manic movie after a single viewing, I can honestly say that INHERENT VICE is an intoxicating motion picture experience and I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.
INHERENT VICE opens in fictional Gordita Beach, CA circa 1970, and follows pot smoking private detective Larry “Doc” Sportello (played by Joaquin Phoenix) as he navigates through a labyrinthian series of crazed plot developments in an effort to solve a most perplexing case. Along the way, Doc must deal with a plethora of colorful characters including a frozen banana chomping cop (played by Josh Brolin), a mysterious ex-lover (played by Katherine Waterston), and a conniving deputy (played by Reese Witherspoon).
A strong movie always starts with a strong story, and though INHERENT VICE is far more interested in mood and character than a definitive, coherent plot structure, I’ll be damned if this movie didn’t work it’s refer magic on me.
As Doc, Phoenix is positively hypnotic in this movie. While he seems like a dimwit out of the gate, he ultimately comes across as one of the most intelligent characters in the entire film. Phoenix is simply a joy to watch here. Josh Brolin is an absolute riot as a cocky, celebrated cop. A moment in which his dry Lt. Det. Christian F. “Bigfoot” Bjornsen gags on a frozen banana as Doc watches on curiously in the background, is one of this film’s many hilarious highlights.
INHERENT VICE is episodic in nature and every supporting turn is spot on. Martin Short, Eric Roberts, Maya Rudolph, Hong Chau, Michael Kenneth Williams, Benicio Del Toro, Jena Malone, and Owen Wilson all bring a unique flavor to this oddball buffet, but it is a mesmerizing Waterston who shines brightest as Doc’s old flame, Shasta. Waterston gives this character a fierce, sexual kick, and one scene in particular does a perfect job of conveying why Shasta has such power over Doc.
While making the press rounds for INHERENT VICE, the gifted Anderson suggested that the works of the Zucker Brothers (AIRPLANE!, THE NAKED GUN) were a big influence and there’s no doubt that there is a spoof vibe at the heart of this movie, but the sense of humor here is considerably different. This is more like a madcap fusion of the Coen Brothers’ THE BIG LEBOWSKI and a Phillip Marlowe mystery (think Robert Altman’s THE LONG GOODBYE).
Admittedly, this isn’t a movie for everyone but even when I was lost in the foggy haze of this film’s central character, I was transfixed by INHERENT VICE. It’s like getting lost in a dream. A crazy, meticulously detailed, stoned out of his gourd, hippie-ass dream.
