Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Talent: Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Catherine Waterston, Owen Wilson
Release Date: 30th January 2015
As the credits rolled on Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice, I didn’t hear the expected excited chatter from my film reviewing peers. ‘Okay’ was the word of the day. The film was ‘okay’, as was the acting and the story: it was all *okay*. The only aspect of the film that went universally appreciated was the soundtrack. I heard someone call it ‘a revelation’ between bites of a chicken sandwich.
It’s true that Inherent Vice suffers a little from the weight of expectations: great director, great cast, great source material, but with a screenplay that climaxes a little early and with a style that’s a little too mannered to support its loosey goosey narrative. Having said that, it’s a very handsome film and Phoenix is a must-see as the pothead private eye, particularly if you’re someone who, like me, believes Fletch to be the best film of the 1980s.
Words: Luke Maxwell
