★★★
Inherent Vice is a good film, this is not much of a surprise given that it’s written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and adapted from a book by the highly acclaimed novelist Thomas Pynchon. But considering the greatness that could have come from this combination, this ‘good’ level of quality is less of a compliment and more a disappointment. One of the hallmarks of a Pynchon novel are the many sub plots featuring a wide cast of characters, and while this works in his books, it doesn’t quite carry through to the film. We are introduced to many quirky side characters but never start to feel a personal connection to them before being whisked away to the next scene. This extends to prominent side characters like Shasta and Coy, where despite seeing their perils and resolutions, we are always an arm’s length away from really caring. This lack of investment easily causes interest to diminish, especially with a runtime of just over two hours and twenty minutes.
On top of this, despite being a comedic detective film, I don’t feel that the humour is all that successful. Comedy is yet another mark of a Pynchon novel, and its reasonable for PTA to have included it for him to have felt as if he had done the novel justice. It can be chuckle worthy at times but as a whole the many aloof characters don’t match the serious tone of the film’s presentation. It felt as if the goal of the film was to make you feel genuine emotion for these characters and take seriously the plot and consequences. Yet with the comedic aspects, although I can see potential for humour, most of the time it feels like an afterthought that’s executed awkwardly. It was hard for me not to think of other ‘stoner noirs’ such as The Big Lebowski or Under the Silver Lake whilst watching. I was reminded of their humorous set pieces, surrealist scenes and lighter tones which Inherent Vice lacks, that evidently play a large part in how invested and entertained I am while watching them. Inherent Vice does feature a set piece that I admit drew me back in, but it was during the last 30 minutes, far too late to make up for what proceeded it, I only wish the film had more moments like this. When it comes to what I like about the film, by far its strongest quality is the atmosphere. Through the set design, costuming and dialogue, the culture of sex and drugs alongside the culture which opposes that in the ‘straights’, are made palpable. Greenwood’s score clearly attempts to replicate those of noir films from the 40s and 50s but the inclusion of instruments such as bass guitars and bongo drums illuminates the 60s setting, this is then further bolstered by the 60s soundtrack.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s films work best when portraying the dramatic lives of his characters and giving viewers a chance to ruminate over their actions and the consequences that occur as a result of them. I believe that if he had done this with Inherent Vice, it would have been to the aggravation of the initial fans of the novel for offering an unfaithful adaptation. However, being faithful to the book has only been to the film’s detriment. On no technical level could this film be considered poorly made, Anderson’s direction is on point, the lighting is beautiful and the acting is great with a stellar cast. But I am just not connected to these bit characters and I need more varied scenes to hold my interest than just those of dialogue. 3 stars out of 5.
