'Inherent Vice' A Review

Inherent Vice is a comedy noir directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and adapted from the Thomas Pynchon novel of the same name. Larry "Doc" Sportello(Joaquin Phoenix) is a pothead hippy detective whose ex-girlfriend Shasta Fay Hepworth(Katherine Waterston) appears and sets Doc on the convoluted case of her current boyfriend then promptly disappears. While Doc stumbles through the convoluted and muddled investigation he frequently runs up against Det. Christian "Bigfoot" Bjornsen(Josh Brolin), his hard-nosed straight-laced counter part. Eventually Doc does "solve" the overly complicated case.

As one can expect from any PTA film it is beautifully shot, wonderfully acted, and perfectly scored. Phoenix and Brolin especially ignite together with some truly delightful chemistry. The relationship goes a long way to redeem the film as a whole and in and of itself make it worth seeing.

There are two major and systemic problems with the film, which in all fairness may be a function of the source material. First, there doesn't seem to be much of a point. The film sets up a sprawling and convoluted plot which is pleasing while Doc navigates it but upon its conclusion there is scene which basically boils down to(in regards to the film's central mystery) "well, nevermind". Deliberate ambiguity or a purposeful character study are certainly noble intentions but this film catches and holds our attention by presenting a mystery in a certain style. After investing time and sympathy we come to find out there never was a point. There is no message. It's a bait and switch.

The second and more egregious issue with Inherent Vice is its women. All of the women in the film are sexual objects. Some straight prostitutes, others sex-crazed, the rest seem to have no other function than to be desired. Shasta, Doc's ex and the largest female role, is a combination of femme fatal and manic pixie dream girl with all the two denominationality those tropes can fall into. She exists exclusively to drive the(pointless) action. Although billed partially as a romance there is no romance between Doc and Shasta only sexual foreboding. Towards the end there is a disturbing and discordant sex scene between the two where Shasta's dialogue goes from incomprehensible to inane. None of the women in the film are real characters save Maya Rudolph's inconsequential receptionist. They have snappy dialogue and are scantily clad, that seems to be the beginning and the end of their purpose.

Lots of plot with little story. Fully flushed out men, paper-thin women. Agreeable upon intial viewing with a bitter aftertaste.

Rent It.