Inherent Vice review

Inherent Vice is a hard film to review because it's a hard film to understand. It does feel...different from past Paul Thomas Anderson works for better or for worse. It's a film I enjoyed for what it was, but I can't help but wonder if it could have been more.

Inherent Vice stars Joaquin Phoenix as Doc Sportella, a private investigator and hippie stoner in Los Angeles. Long story short, he ends up investigating the disappearance of Mickey Wolfman, a prominent real estate developer and the lover of his ex-girlfriend Shasta Fay (Katherine Waterston). He ends up encountering a variety of crazy characters including corrupt cops, neo-nazis, mysterious drug cartels and dentists along the way. If that confuses you, I can't say that it makes a ton more sense in context.

Inherent Vice's reception has been fairly divisive but the closest thing to a consensus I've heard is that the plot gets confusing really quickly but you just kind of have to go with the flow and enjoy the ride. I basically agree with that consensus. About 45 minutes into the 148 minute film, I stopped trying to figure out what was going on. It's a very layered and dense plot but I do think I'd get some value out of watching it again. And in a way, the confusing plot almost kind of works. As you give up trying to figure out how all of the conspiracies connect and how everyone is involved, it's almost like a crazy trip which is sorta fitting since the main character is a hippie stoner.

The film still works thanks to its characters. Joaquin Phoenix continues to impress. It's amazing that this is his second outing with Paul Thomas Anderson considering how different his performance was in The Master. It's a very fun and energetic performance but it never feels like he's trying too hard. Katherine Waterston is also excellent as Shasta Fay, one scene in particular really sold me on her future as an actress. Martin Short has a wonderful bit part that had the whole theater laughing. Owen Wilson and Reese Witherspoon got the job done while Benicio Del Toro and especially Michael K. Williams felt underused.

But this film belongs to Josh Brolin, the hippie hating LAPD detective. Brolin stole every scene he was in whether it be kicking a hippie while he's down or yelling in Japanese at a restaurant. It's a performance that I think deserves serious consideration for a Best Supporting Actor nomination and could be Brolin's best performance to date. There's one scene in particular that I'll never forget. I don't want to give any details away as to what happens except I'll say the entire audience was cackling. I had no idea Brolin could be so funny.

Josh Brolin

Paul Thomas Anderson is one of my favorite directors, though this is definitely one of his weaker efforts. I feel like his other movies have more of a moral or takeaway of some kind while this was more just entertainment (albeit very unusual entertainment). That's not a bad thing but it's not what I expected from him, I guess. But this film looks just as beautiful as his other movies. The Costume design and makeup and hairstyling also deserves Oscar consideration in my opinion.

Inherent Vice isn't the perfect PTA outing but I certainly don't regret watching it and I wouldn't mind watching it again to see if I could grasp more of the plot. Go into it knowing that you might not completely "get it" and you'll have a good time. Perhaps my opinion will change on a rewatch.

Rating: 4/5