"Inherent Vice" -- any Thomas Pynchon fans?
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| Posted on April 24, 2018 at 13:46:47 | ||
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Posts: 16951
Location: Santa Fe, NM Joined: April 8, 2004 Contributor Since: January 7, 2005 |
This is a psycho/batshit psychedelic story set in the late 60's. If you remember it, you weren't there. Really -- as far this movie goes, made/shown in 2014, based on Pynchon's novel, featuring Joaquin Phoenix as Doc Sportello, chasing down an ex-girlfriend who disappeared and was rumored to be off'd. Doc, a premier doper, and cast make a neo-noir film that's part Cheech and Chong meet The Dude and Mickey Spillane. This has cult value. I loved it. The story is a stream of consciousness thing, kind of like Kerouac's On the Road, Jimmy Buffet's Where's Joe Merchant, and Bucky Fuller's Nine Chains to the Moon. It might help to follow the "plot" (cough, cough) if you are stoned. Convoluted, with airhead doper dialogue/monologue conversations and storytelling, all brilliantly done. Pynchon's story is set in LA and SoCal environs as the druggy 60's are playing out and big drugs are moving in. Very colorful and a very big cliche of the place and time. Phoenix is brilliant as the laid back, up in smoke detective who's not as dumb as he seems. Its just that he's so high all the time that he can barely bring himself to give a shit. Looks like everyone wanted a piece of this one, and all give exceptional performances -- Josh Brolin, Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Eric Roberts, Martin Short, Benicio Del Toro and cast of millions. OK, maybe a few others. Katherine Waterston gets special mention as the girlfriend Shasta, who plays the most casually sexed up, permanently stoned, other planet sort of babe you will see on film. Side stories galore. Dialogue between Phoenix and Wilson will have you busting a gut. These guys really play well together. Forget logic; just roll with it. It all works out by the end. Very enjoyable and worth watching a couple of times. You might have to. Pynchon's work ain't easy. Currently floating on Cinemax if you get the cable network, but should be easy to find. This one is a winner. An easy choice if you need help remembering the 60's.
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