![]() ![]() I've seen this movie twice, both because I'm a PT Anderson fan, and because on first viewing, I came out scratching my head, and I thought that I might be missing its merits. This is truly a great movie the humor and intelligence keeping you either doubled over on the floor or on your toes trying to anticipate its next move (you're out of your chair either way) makes for an addicting watching experience, and continues the tradition of PT Anderson's excellence in his craft. In short, there's no easy way to describe this movie perhaps the best way is to imagine if "Up in Smoke" and "Pulp Fiction" met by chance late one night, went back to one of their apartments, and made sweet music 'til sunrise. That, plus a fitting soundtrack from Radiohead guitarist and another frequent Anderson collaborator Jonny Greenwood, makes the ride all the more enjoyable. The supporting cast ranges from all-stars (Benicio Del Toro, Maya Rudolph, Martin Short, Reese Witherspoon, Martin Donovan) to newcomers (Jordan Christian Hearn, Hong Chau, etc.), and it's so delightful to see both familiar faces and fresh ones co-existing together instead of fighting for the spotlight. Phoenix nails the role of Sportello with such a flawless grace that you'd think he was like that all the time Brolin manages to make the character of Bigfoot both hilarious and threatening at the same time (there's a scene representing the best of both worlds where Bigfoot beats the snot out of Doc in front of a rookie cop outside the land developer's house), and Waterson, in making her character so secretive and mysterious makes her all the more seductive, and we're glad for it. Without such a talented cast in both the lead and supporting roles, this movie would have undoubtedly been exponentially more difficult to make. "Bigfoot" Bjornsen (yes, that is his full name, but Bigfoot is the only important part), and the lead characters always seem so hard-assed or perpetually dazed it makes you wonder if people in the '60s were truly as hard-line as they are in this film: out of their mind on drugs nearly every hour of the day or straight-laced with their nose so high they'd drown in a rainstorm. Paranoia and mistrust are abundant as evidenced both by Doc's interactions with the Feds and with Brolin's character, Detective Lieutenant Christian F. As can always be expected from a movie adaptation of a novel some trimming has been done, as several larger supporting side characters were reduced to bit parts or completely cut out (as was the case for a Vegas trip taken by Doc with the on-and-off GF of a buddy of the Neo-Nazi biker he's paid to seek out by a member of the Black Panthers), but overall Anderson succeeds in staying true to the story and capturing the essence of the era depicted in the novel. Also, there's a missing saxophonist-turned-undercover government agent played by Owen Wilson, who screams profanity at Nixon in a scene that I wish could have actually been featured on TV. Along the way Doc picks up a couple more cases, and in the process butts heads with local law enforcement (Josh Brolin), the FBI, and Neo-Nazi bikers working as bodyguards for the aforementioned land developer. Larry "Doc" Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix, in his second collaboration with Anderson) is a stoner hippie PI living in Los Angeles, riding out the tail end of the psychedelic '60s, when his ex-girlfriend Shasta Fay Hepworth (Katharine Waterson) shows up with a far-out story about a plan by the wife of her current billionaire land developer boyfriend (Eric Roberts) and the wife's boyfriend to get him committed as part of a get rich quick scheme. Try to follow me through the summary, if you can dig it. It compliments his style in every way imaginable while he still manages to bring original vision and flair to the project. It compliments his style in every way imaginable while he still manages to bring original A book like Thomas Pynchon's "Inherent Vice", with its mix of zany characters, offbeat humor, and intelligently convoluted plot meant for serious readers, was made for Paul Thomas Anderson to adapt. A book like Thomas Pynchon's "Inherent Vice", with its mix of zany characters, offbeat humor, and intelligently convoluted plot meant for serious readers, was made for Paul Thomas Anderson to adapt. ![]()
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