Inherent Vice (2014) - Paul Thomas Anderson

When burn out private eye Doc Sportello gets a visit from his ex out of nowhere telling a story about her current billionaire land developer boyfriend whom she happens to be in love with Doc doesn't know what to think.  She tells Doc about a plot between the billionaire's wife and her boyfriend to throw the billionaire in the looney bin.  As Doc begins to investigate, his ex herself goes up missing, leading him on a trail to discover what is going on.  Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice is a part noir, part psychedelic frolic, that deconstructs the noir/detective story in a highly entertaining way.  The narrative of Inherent Vice is purposely convoluted, with literally every character playing a part in this twisted tale.  This film loves the absurd, intentionally attempting to confuse the audience as to what exactly is going on.  The comparisons to The Big Lebowski certainly have merit but Inherent Vice is a much deeper film, capturing a time and place where the psychedelic 70s began to conflict with the stern, conservative arm of the law.  The relationship between Doc and his ex perfectly encapsulates the time, with the lines beween love and lust being endlessly blurred by both characters.  Joaquin Phoenix's burn out, hippie character is in constant conflict with Brolin's stern, hardass police officer character, with their dynamic  showcasing the cultural clashes of the area.  There is also a major undercurrent centered around abuse of power running through Inherent Vice, with cops taking advantage of civilians and rich taking advantage of the poor in a way that makes Inherent Vice thematically relevant today.  Featuring a fantastic script, Inherent Vice is without question Paul Thomas Anderson's most playful film, having a very slapstick style sense of humor that showcases Joaquin Phoenix's impressive comedic timing. 

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