Inherent Vice is akin to the type of muddled detective story Raymond Chandler would write if he were periodically taking breaks to do Bong hits. Rarely is Joaquin Phoenix's low rent P. I. Doc not puffing a J, making much of the plot of Inherent Vice as hazy and frankly irrelevant, as much of its main characters' actions. Phoenix, with his terrible 70's sideburns, has a blast stumbling through each messy situation, Katherine Waterston is utterly hypnotizing as the manipulative Shasta and Josh Brolin is an absolute riot as a humorless cop who detests hippies. Yet it is only In selective moments that Inherent Vice rises to the level of the breezy, rich, multi-layered character study your hoping for. It's great to see the brilliant PT Anderson back making this type of film, but I wish there was more steak on my plate.
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Brilliant review of the film, well done.