INHERENT VICE
US, 2014, 148 minutes, Colour.
Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Jemma Newsome, Katherine Waterston, Jeannie Berlin, Eric Roberts, Serena Scott Thomas, Benicio Del Toro, Jena Malone, Martin Short, Peter Mc Robbie, Martin Donovan .
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
First of all, the title. Inherent Vice for those with a religious bent might sound like an alternate description of the Reformation Theology of the inner corruption of every human being, absolutely needing God’s grace. Actually, the meaning of the title is far more mundane. As the voice-over astrologist tells us, inherent vice means anything of this nature which cannot be avoided: chocolate melting, ice melting, glass cracking… How that title applies to the situations and characters of this story is a challenge to the audience. It may mean that the central character Doc, who spends a lot of his time stoned, has that particular inherent vice as well as an innate curiosity to solve crimes.
What about Incoherent? That is not a misprint for coherent! And many audiences might offer the opinion that Incoherent would be a more truthful title.
However, when one looks at some of the Private Eye films from the past, especially from the 1940s, like The Big Sleep which most commentators say they cannot logically explain, or listening to the last five minutes of The Maltese Falcon with Humphrey Bogart giving a speed-spoken explanation of what was what, who was who and why was why which is very difficult to comprehend on first listening, then incoherent is probably a relevant word.
But this film, adapted from a novel by Thomas Pynchon by the director, Paul Thomas Anderson, who has made some impressive films over the years including Boogie Nights, Punch-drunk Love, There Will Be Blood, The Master, is not from the 1940s but, rather, from the late 1960s. No black and white here. Instead there are bright colours, a fair amount of sunlight, and re-creation of a hippie lifestyle on the California beaches of those days.
While Doc, played most effectively by Joaquin Phoenix, is no Humphrey Bogart or Dick Powell, he is in their tradition, a seedy-looking office, lots of interesting, even if shady, contacts, and a girlfriend, Shasta (Katherine Waterston) who may be a good girl or not – and some of the sex scenes later indicate that it might be “or not”. However, it is she who brings a mystery to Doc which sets him following through, getting advice from Benicio Del Toro, interviewing a man just out of prison – and finding himself waking up next to a corpse which certainly arouses police attention and suspicions. The main policeman is Bigfoot, played by Josh Brolin.
There is quite a range of cast, from Reese Witherspoon as an uptight district attorney official (except when she canoodles with Doc), a former band member who has become an undercover informant (Owen Wilson), a lewd dentist with a partiality for young women and cocaine (Martin Short) and an assortment of its citizens as well as corrupt police.
Whether the mainstream audience will respond well to this film is more than doubtful. It makes too many demands in trying to respond to the unravelling of its plot, not an immediate rapport with most of its characters, and not so much of response to these stoner times (except perhaps from those who lived through them).
The inherent vice of many of those who watch the film will be: too difficult to follow and so give up. It is a film for film buffs.
1. The meaning of the title, chocolate melts, ice melts, glass cracks? Inherent Vice meaning anything that cannot of its nature be avoided? Its application to the screenplay?
2. The late 1960s, California, the beaches, hippie lifestyle, predominance of drugs, sexual behaviour, addicts, addled memories, behaviour? Crime, the police? The Nixon era? Neo-Nazis?
3. The re-creation of the period, its look, clothes, feel?
4. The musical score, the range of songs from the period and the use, atmosphere, the lyrics commenting on characters and action?
5. Inherent, coherent, incoherent? The novel by Thomas Pynchon, the adaptation by the director? The perspectives on life, morals, right and wrong?
6. The work of the director, writing and directing, aspects of American life and society? His visual style?
7. The tradition of the Private Eye films, especially from the 1940s and film noir? This film not in noir but in bright colour? The tradition of voice-overs, narrative, comment (in this case the voice of the astrologist, feminine, the knowledge of characters, description of situations)? The clarity or non-clarity of the narrative? Of the events, of characters motivations?
8. Use of close-ups, tight focus on characters’ faces, warts and all study?
9. Joaquin Phoenix and his performance as Doc? The great tour-de-force? His name, his background, his work, his appearance, muttonchops, hair and style, curling it, sloppy clothes, his manner of speech? The relationship with Shasta, her coming to visit, memories of the past? Her description of the plot, the wealthy man, his wife and boyfriend, wanting her involvement, putting him in an institution? His disappearance, the investigative leads, Doc following up, the complexity?
10. The interview with the man out of jail, bodyguard, Doc and drug experiences, waking up beside the corpse, police suspicions?
11. Sauncho Smilax and his character, giving information, The Golden Fang, the boat, the meal, the drinks? His reappearance at the end and the discussions about the case?
12. Penny, proper and her legal work, seeing her at work, the interview with Doc, visiting later, sex and drugs? His asking her for files, her lending them? With the agents? Her work of the office?
13. Coy Harlingen, making contacts, his information, the Golden Fang, his being undercover and informant of the police, the other connections? His behaviour on television at the Nixon rally? His background in the band, his wife and family, wanting to hide, Doc doing the bargain for his freedom with Japonica’s father? Taking him home, reunited with his family?
14. The dentist, the receptionist, information, lewd sexual behaviour, the indulgence in cocaine, Doc taking advantage himself?
15. Bigfoot, his role in the police, investigations, the leads, his office, the meetings with Doc, setting him up with his partner, the cache of drugs? Doc and his escape and the shooting-deaths? The exchange of the drugs? At the end, reappearing with Doc, the two saying the same words of dialogue, his
indulgence in the drugs, legal? Meaning?
16. Shasta, her story, disappearing, reappearing, the sexual encounter with Doc, on the beach at the end?
17. Doc, wanting the files, Penny allowing it? Information about Adrian and other police? Doc going to visit Adrian, the discussions, his henchman, huge, chaining Doc, his somersault and unlocking his cuffs, the escape, the brutal treatment of the bodyguard? The garden, shooting the guard and Adrian? Bigfoot and the setup?
18. The film as a cinematic experience, the times, as a private investigation mystery in the tradition? The detail being unclear in some of those films? Late 1960s fashion? With Shasta? In the car, the police? The later news of his death?
