Rating of
2/4
'Inherent' Sleep
Unknown - wrote on 01/12/15
'Inherent Vice' is another disappointment from 2014, for me. Director P.T. Anderson continues his downward slope that started with 'The Master'. This film suffers from some story issues I had with his previous. The plot sets up a usual, but interestingly, complex noir mystery, only to spill out into a stream of random situations that constantly shift between actually solving the case and introducing a truckload of new characters to study. Most are forgettable, being examined by a throwaway quirk or trait used to setup a weird gag. The threads are not supposed to meld together, I assume. The result is a mess. The narrative is completely unfocussed. Long scenes of pointless ramblings add nothing at all to the story, causing gaps of boredom. Having a snail's pace makes it tedious, at times. The handful of actual comedic moments were enough to keep me going. Not to deliver good laughs, per se, but only provide absurd actions that left me amused and puzzled. I like the setting and strong hippie vibe mixed with classic noir atmosphere. The cast is also great. They add to the immersive experience of watching constantly drugged out weirdos. I really wanted to enjoy it more.
