Promotional Wallpaper from Warner Bros.
What does a film involving hippie detectives, neo-Nazis, drug smugglers and a missing rich guy create? Surprisingly nothing that exciting. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (“There Will Be Blood”), “Inherent Vice” is set in 1970 and follows private investigator/hippie Doc Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix, “Her”) who’s hired by his ex-girlfriend Shasta (Katherine Waterston, “Michael Clayton”) to track down her missing current lover, a real-estate mogul named Michael Z. Wolfmann (Eric Roberts, “The Expendables”). Beyond that, it’s difficult to explain what this movie is about. This is by far one of the most confusing films I have ever seen.
After the opening scene, the audience is taken on this journey concerning a mystery that has several subplots involving wacky characters who come and go making this enigma (in and of the film itself) more and more complicated. There are certain scenes in the film that are great, but as a whole, the story is confusing and moments that should thrill or excite the audience fall flat.
Due to his strong following from previous films, there are plenty of people who are die-hard fans of Paul Thomas Anderson and will love this movie for all its worth. And it’s not a terrible film, just be forewarned that if you’re expecting to feel satisfied with plot twists and a clearly solved mystery, you will be disappointed. This film focuses more on quirky characters and light slapstick moments.
