Inherent Vice (2014)

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

The film is not making sense. It's like trying to ask the mob what's going on. Not only they won't tell you, but asking them is asking to be led anywhere but, and be fleeced. It felt like I was watching TV, not in the 70s. The jibe was off.

Inherent ViceA concrete material throughout the course of the movie with more than enough content to feed the audience even for 148 minutes, is a script that does not come often onto Paul's table for it is completely a plot driven movie. Inherent Vice has a lot to offer, complex plots and sub-plots, amusing verbal sparring and eerie characters but it takes a lot of homework to bind them all and project it onto the screen which is accomplished in here for the most part of the movie. Paul Thomas Anderson's seventh installment is admirable and plausible in context of art but doesn't demand attention of the viewers which may come off as a bit downer considering there is a lot to intake. Joaquin Phoenix is the key that glues each and every character and sequences in this overlong drive and he pulls it off with the help of a great supporting cast like Josh Brolin, Katherine Waterston and Owen Wilson. Inherent Vise is witty but low on drama, has reasonable content but lacks gripping screenplay and has stellar performances but contains lots of bumps down the road.

This movie is a convoluted mess, I can't even explain what the story line is. Phoenix is in every scene, never sitting up normally, always lying down, or sprawled on the floor after a pummeling, and constantly smoking weed, and there's the annoying voice over. If you like David Lynch movies then this movie is for you. Don't try to make sense of it, just marvel that someone would waste their time trying to adapt it from a book that is ranked No. 32,833 on Amazon. It rambles on so much that you will completely forget what the main plot is supposed to be. Case in point: There are 110 cast members listed in the credits, I defy anyone to recall what was said by any one of them, and more importantly how they contributed to the plot. The budget was $20 million, small in comparison to the typical Hollywood film and the opening weekend was an abysmal $328,000, word of mouth certainly worked in this case. Save yourself the cost of renting it and just have someone you really don't care for explain the plot to you, in depth, so you can have another reason to dislike that person even more.

'Inherent Vice' is the next feature film from Paul Thomas Anderson and you can tell. It boasts a great soundtrack, brilliant acting and a very convoluted story as it tells the story of a private detective (Phoenix) as he investigates into the disappearance of a former girlfriend.The screenplay is very confusing. It is hard to follow and purposely so as it introduces many characters and multiple stories but I have heard that this aspect of the screenplay is very true to the original source material. All I could do was admit that the film was too bewildering and to enjoy the many jokes and humorous situations.Joaquin Phoenix is tremendous as the main character Larry "Doc" Sportello. He is complimented with a great supporting cast such as Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro.Overall, 'Inherent Vice' is not a typical popcorn flick and I was very confused by the overwhelming plot but it is fun and very well made and so I have given it a final rating of 3.5 stars.