Inherent Vice

Inherent Vice is a comedic crime drama adapted from Thomas Pynchon’s novel of the same name, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (The Master, There Will Be Blood). The film stars an ensemble cast featuring Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Katherine Waterston, Reese Witherspoon, Benicio del Toro, Jena Malone, Maya Rudolph, and Martin Short.

When private eye Doc Sportello’s ex-old lady suddenly out of nowhere shows up with a story about her current billionaire land developer boyfriend whom she just happens to be in love with, and a plot by his wife and her boyfriend to kidnap that billionaire and throw him in a loony bin…well, easy for her to say. With a cast of characters that includes surfers, hustlers, dopers and rockers, a murderous loan shark, LAPD detectives, a tenor sax player working undercover, and a mysterious entity known as the Golden Fang, which may only be a tax dodge set up by some dentists…it’s part California noir, part hallucinogenic romp, and an all-out cinematic homage to a Pynchonian world of far-out characters, dead-on insights and deep yearning.

As winding as Pynchon’s narrative is, Anderson tried to find a simplicity underneath the madness. “Pynchon’s plot mechanics are complicated, sure, but beneath it all is something simple. It’s looking at the past and hoping things can get better tomorrow. What could be simpler than that? Isn’t it what we all want?”

For more on Inherent Vice, check out our review of the film. The film is rated 14A.

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