INHERENT VICE (2014)

Chick Planet Massage

Ties

Peace

Title: Inherent Vice
Year: 2014
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Format: Blu-ray
Label: Warner Bros.
Notes:

OK. Watching this for the 2nd time after reading the book gets a couple of things out of the way. Firstly, the plot does not seem incomprehensible as it simplifies the book a bit and includes a helpful narrator to guide the confused viewer. Secondly I was able to enjoy the film without comparing it to the novel, as that was dealt with when I first saw it in the cinema.

So what does that leave? This is a well made adaption of the Thomas Pynchon novel that unfortunately never quite hits greatness. The book actually seems tailor-made for adaption and the noirish mood and counter-culture setting is captured well. A few things are missing; I'm sure there's a wacky Vegas sequence in the novel that's completely missing (although I could be imagining that...) and the delightful pop culture references that pepper the source text are lost. However the photography looked great and as a newcomer to PTA's films (for shame) I was reasonably impressed with his filmmaking skill. The Jonny Greenwood soundtrack fits well (closest thing to Radiohead praise I've ever given) without ever amazing. That might sum up the whole film actually - almost great.