Thomas Pynchon’s books are considered unfilmable, but Paul Thomas Anderson proves this not to be the case. That Inherent Vice works can also be attributed to a considerable extent to Joaquim Phoenix. You could meet his detective Larry ‘Doc’ Sportello somewhere between The Big Lebowski and The Big Sleep: heart in the right place, huge sideburns and an even bigger appetite for marihuana.
The 1970s: Doc is investigating the disappearance of an ex, but the case gets more complicated at every turn – and more mysterious, and more dicey. Is the danger emanating from neo-Nazis, a drug cartel or is it a sinister conspiracy by dentists? As the weed smoke thickens, paranoia and confusion grow. The audience also loses the trail, but this is exactly what is supposed to happen and a big part of the fun.
After his two previous heavy films, Inherent Vice finds Anderson in considerably more lighthearted mood. Not that this makes this trippy film noir any the less brilliant – on the contrary.
Film details
- Country of production
- USA
- Year
- 2014
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2015
- Length
- 148"
- Medium/Format
- DCP
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