Inherent Vice

Unpleasant mess. Inherent Vise was just uncomfortable. The thing that makes me so upset about this movie is that it had such a great potential. Like, it could have been The Big Lebowski combined with ocean’s 11 or Fight Club. I knew it was going to go for shock value, but I didn’t’ expect the boring long silences. The story was all over the place, and quite unnecessary. If he cut it to the first 10 minutes, it could have skipped to last half an hour. Nothing relevant happened in the middle 2 hours at all, except leave a large number of loose ends that don’t’ get tied up.

5 questions answered:

1. Why is this movie getting such fan fair from cultist movie lovers? Why are they holding a press conference with all these big names at the film society at Lincoln Center during the New York Film Festival?

The director, Paul Thomas Anderson, did Boogie Nights! Ohhhh, now this puts the whole movie into context. He is known for being this revolutionary film maker that knows how to show the grit and doesn’t shy away from gruesome scenes. He is one of the first to record VHS to VHS…bla bla bla. His takes are long…and how long and boring they really were in this movie.  The thing about his guy is that he also had great success directing Magnolia. 

Inherent Vice was different than his other movies. Magnolia and Boogie Nights (as well as Hard 8) included his favorite actors to work with. That would be Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly and, Philip Seymour Hoffman. These three parter names are great, amazing actors, and none of them were in Inherent Vice.

2. Who was in this movie, you may ask? So many potentially amazing actors!

·         Joaquin Phoenix

·         Reese Witherspoon

·         Josh Brolin

·         Jena Malone

·         Owen Wilson

·         Maya Rudolph

·         Martin Short

·         Benicio Del Toro

3. Why wasn’t this movie better? Especially with this list of actors?

It was too long for one. The whole movie should have just been cut, cut, cut.  The acting was great, and the 70s throwbacks were fun to a point, but it was overdone. It was like the movie was in love with itself.

The trailer featured a few funny one-liners, which were chuckle worthy. The movie did have those moments, but it was too few and far between. There were parts that were literally so uncomfortable and silent, and I wanted to leave. I was stuck in the middle of the row, so I just kept sitting there. But, I have not been to a movie that makes me question leaving before the end in a very long time.

There were too many nicknames, that weren’t that cute, but in honesty a little bit confusing. I am not usually confused at movies. In fact, I have explained quite a few to other people.

It was drug addled, and never –ending. The most disappointing thing in my mind is the missed potential. This movie has the makings to be really good. It could have been clever and cohesive. It could have given the actors a moment to show what they are capable of, because I believe they are worth at least that. If the script had been amazing, or if the action kept going this film could have killed it.

4. Was there anything good about this film?

Yes, the acting was top notch within the confines of there being hardly anything to do. The voice overs were funny sometimes. Joaquin Phoenix made some great faces. The movie really embodied everything I know about California in the 70s.

If you loved Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, then you might like this movie. I doubt you would love it, but maybe like it. I personally hated that movie.

5. How could they fix it?

I thought it would help if it had a plot twist of some kind. Or even if they copied off fight club to make one guy with multiple personalities. I would have even accepted that. If they had tied up even half of the loose ends or attempted to make some semblance of the reason the narrator was talking that could have helped as well. Mostly, I believe if they cut all silences. Then this film would have been tolerable. Who wants to sit and watch people not talk to each other so close up? I wish it hadn’t crossed the line from just being boring to being downright uncomfortable.