Movie with Abe: Inherent Vice

Inherent Vice
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Released December 12, 2014

It’s rare to find a movie so utterly perplexing that it’s impossible to figure out where to start a review. Yet such is the case with “Inherent Vice,” the latest extremely long film from auteur Paul Thomas Anderson which reunites him with the star of his last film, “The Master.” Joaquin Phoenix was a lost soul easily influenced by others in that film, and here he plays someone perpetually under the influence, getting high throughout the entire movie as his private investigator stumbles his way through a convoluted crime story riddled with sex and drugs that, in spite of itself, may just make sense.

Phoenix plays Doc Sportello, whose wild adventure begins when his ex-girlfriend Shasta (Katherine Waterston) shows up to tempt him with a crazy story, one that involves sex, betrayal, corruption, maybe even murder. This mystery doesn’t play out like a typical one might, since there are considerable obstacles to Doc finding the truth but mainly because it’s hard to know whether what he’s seeing is actually happening because of the intense amount of hallucinogenic material being put into his body. He takes short, humorous notes on the case in his little notebook, the most frequent of which is “paranoia alert.” Characters are dressed in full 70s period garb and there’s a distinct and effective dated feel to the film.

There’s no denying that there’s an interesting if ridiculously irreverent tale to be told here. Anderson, as usual, has assembled a fine cast to portray his many zany characters, taking care to give even the smallest part appropriate consideration. After three features with smaller casts, Anderson has made a film worthy of comparison to “Magnolia” in more ways than one. Phoenix is a great choice for the lead role, having come back from what appeared to be a staged break with sanity to break through with “The Master,” and he has just the right commitment and balance of seriousness and playfulness to play Doc. In the supporting cast, Waterston is a particularly remarkable find as the alluring but absent Shasta, and Josh Brolin is terrific and hilarious as hard-nosed cop Bigfoot Bjornsen. Eric Roberts, Maya Rudolph, Hong Chau, Michael Kenneth Williams, Sam Jaeger, Timothy Simons, Jena Malone, Owen Wilson, and Reese Witherspoon all contribute to a stacked ensemble whose minimal individual appearances make for a loaded if disjointed whole. It’s anyone’s guess where the film and its overeager plot are headed at any moment, and what clarity might have been achieved in a satisfying finish is avoided entirely. It’s fair to assess this film as bold and creative, but that doesn’t classify it as a resounding success.

B-

Tuesday’s Top Trailer: Inherent Vice

Welcome back to a weekly feature here at Movies with Abe, Tuesday's Top Trailer. One of my favorite parts about going to see movies is the series of trailers that airs beforehand and, more often than not, the trailer is far better than the actual film. Each week, I'll be sharing a trailer I've recently seen. Please chime in with comments on what you think of the trailer and how you think the movie is going to be.

Inherent Vice – Opening December 12, 2014

I would have wanted to see this film based on its director and cast alone, and now that I’ve seen a trailer, I’m pretty much equally excited and perplexed. This film is premiering at the New York Film Festival, and I’d love to attend the press and industry screening if it wasn’t scheduled during Yom Kippur. Paul Thomas Anderson is a director who doesn’t make movies too often and puts enormous care and effort into every project he takes on, and therefore it’s worth anticipating this next feature. I’m personally a big fan of “Magnolia,” and though I had some issues with “Punch Drunk Love” and “There Will Be Blood,” there are plenty of things I can appreciate about both. Anderson’s previous collaboration with Joaquin Phoenix, "The Master," was an enormously successful one, and this is sure to produce another zany, immensely watchable performance from the once-crazy actor. This film is all about the costumes and time period, something Andreson has done to rave reviews in the past with “Boogie Nights.” He’s enlisted a formidable cast, including Josh Brolin, Reese Witherspoon, Jena Malone, Owen Wilson, Benicio Del Toro, Martin Short, and Michael K. Williams. This looks like a film that could easily get lost in its own depraved world over the course of 148 minutes, but I imagine that it’s going to be a mesmerizing experience throughout anyway. Let’s hope it’s a good mix and that the scenery and casting choices are equaled by a compelling story and fine acting all around.