In the space of 18 years, Paul Thomas Anderson has become one of the most respected and valued film-makers working today and, despite having only six films under his belt, his work is often counted amongst the best being made right now. From my own personal perspective, Anderson’s second film, 1997’s Boogie Nights, has been a firm favourite, easily counting as one of my top three films of all time, and has become a major influence in my own ambitions. As such, to get the chance to see his newest film, Inherent Vice, ahead of general release is the kind of opportunity a PTA fan positively leaps at. However, it is with the understandable hesitancy of a PTA fan that it seems Inherent Vice isn’t quite up to the director’s usual standards.
One of Anderson’s demonstrable strengths as a filmmaker is his ability to capture the essence of an era onscreen, through his tremendous use of mise-en-scène, props and costume. Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood and The Master are all evidence of this aptitude for period recreation, and Inherent Vice is no exception. Here, 70s California comes alive with an air so authentic that it recalls the atmosphere of Clint Eastwood’s Play Misty for Me. This world feels real, lived in. And what a character to be walking through it.
With his mutton-chop sideburns and his hippie long hair, Doc Sportello is far from the conventional filmic private eye, and his troubles, though perhaps vaguely familiar to fans of the detective genre, feel just as unconventional. His deceitful femme fatale ex-girlfriend, Shasta (Katherine Waterston), has involved him in a missing person’s case, that of real estate tycoon Mickey Wolfmann (Eric Roberts), which soon sees Doc run afoul of Josh Brolin’s straight-edge L.A. cop. The investigation quickly spirals out of control as clues turn to red herrings and ominous questions evolve around the cryptic phrase "Beware the Golden Fang." Despite his best efforts, and the dubious assistance of lawyer Sauncho Smilax (Benicio del Toro), Doc remains as in the dark as the audience in figuring out just who or what the “Golden Fang” is. Is it a rock band? A boat? An Indo-Chinese heroin cartel? The mystery continues to unravel, but with it also goes the patience of those watching. Every clarification leaves us none the wiser, so the problem ultimately becomes: who cares?
The ensemble cast are not to be faulted, though. Pheonix is in virtually every scene of the film, and capably carries that weight, delivering a performance that’s committed to Doc’s every quirk and eccentricity. It’s also great to see him once again sharing the screen with Reese Witherspoon, with whom she had such amazing chemistry in Walk the Line, though the opportunity for more of the same is less apparent. Throughout the film, we get to spend time with a host of oddballs and weirdos, from Owen Wilson’s mumbling musician to Martin Short’s whore-loving cokehead, and everyone gives it their all. However, the film is ultimately weighed down by the constant barrage of dialogue, so instead of sitting on the edge of your seat, it’s a battle to pay attention to the increasingly difficult story that unfolds. As such, Inherent Vice may not gratify every viewer, though PTA fans should still be urged to see it.
Inherent Vice is out January 30th .