Inherent Vice (2014)

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.

Anybody who is easily frustrated by a convoluted and incoherent movie plot should probably give 'Inherent Vice' a miss, otherwise the TV might not escape the two-and-a-half hours damage free. This film makes very little sense from the first scene to the last and the ridiculously long running length makes it even more difficult to endure. There's so much going on in this film that it's near impossible to follow what's happening and connect the dots. Many of the scenes have no explanation and seem totally unrelated to anything that's happened previously. I found the whole thing near impossible to follow and even as I write this review, I'm still at a loss as to what actually happened in 'Inherent Vice'. It's a bizarre, confusing and very frustrating movie.

I don't know what to think about this movie. PTA is sure a good director , TWBB is one of my most favorite movies. But Inherent Vice is different. It's overly long , slow dialogue and it was hard to get into it. The cast and the performances are perfect though and I loved the style of the film. This isn't for everyone. Most people will find it a bit boring (like me) but I kinda enjoyed the last hour or so. And others will love it and praise it. 7/10 (too long , slow , not enough is going on to keep my interest) I still suggest to watch it and decide for yourself if you like it or not.

Hired to investigate a mysterious disappearance, a 1970s hippie private detective's search efforts are hampered by oddball characters, the allure of drugs and 'free love' in this offbeat crime drama from Paul Thomas Anderson. With dissolve and overlap edits in plentiful supply, as well as Oscar nominated costumes that are both true to the era and inventive, 'Inherent Vice' is as good-looking a film as any by Anderson - yet with many mixed reviews out there, it has proved to be one of his most divisive films with event ardent fans turning their back. The dislike is understandable. The film is populated with so many principal characters that there is never the chance to know any of them in any depth, not even the protagonist. Much of the film is also accompanied by voice-over narration that does little other than spell out what could easily be surmised. At the same time though, the film has at least a couple of remarkable performances. While he does not have much of a character to work with, Joaquin Phoenix's acting range is incredible when one considers that the milquetoast star of the previous year's 'Her' is the same actor playing the disheveled PI here. Josh Brolin also brings some welcome comic relief with his hard-nosed police detective who has a soft spot for ice cream treats and who may not be as different from Phoenix as initial appearances would have it. Whether these two notable performances are enough to support a rambling two-and-a-half hour feature is debatable though, and this is therefore a film best approached with caution.