Anna Bowman is a junior English and telecommunications major and writes ‘Film Annalysis’ for the Daily News. Her views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. Write to Anna at aabowman@bsu.edu.
If you ever wanted to know what "Scooby-Doo" would be like in the real, gritty, drug-obsessed L.A. streets during the early 1970s, "Inherent Vice" is a movie you should see.
This film adaptation Thomas Pynchon's novel by the same name is a crude cannabis caper that will make you laugh, cringe and sigh with relief that you didn’t come with your family.
Directed by Oscar-nominated Paul Thomas Anderson, who has also done movies like "Boogie Nights" and "Punch-Drunk Love," "Inherent Vice" is about a hippie detective, played by Joaquin Phoenix, in the search to find his missing former girlfriend, Katherine Waterston. The comic hunt puts him in the tangles of a drug cartel, a cult and a plot for kidnapping. If this film’s plot doesn’t seem easy to follow, it’s because it isn’t.
The acting was nothing short of interesting, with a surprisingly creepy performance from comedian Martin Short and phenomenal portrayals from Joaquin Phoenix and Katherine Waterston. Considering the bizarre roles that they each had to inhabit, this is an extraordinary feat.
It doesn’t seem to matter what part Phoenix plays, his representation of each personality always appears “inherent” to his own strange character. From his drug-induced drawl to the lazily confident stride, Phoenix quietly commands the audience to pay attention – even though there may be nothing much to notice.
The technical efforts of "Inherent Vice" were remarkable – there were few faults to be seen with the lighting, cinematography and audio. Robert Elswit, an Oscar-nominated cinematographer who frequently works with Anderson, fluctuated greatly with his shot types, making each scene much more versatile and engaging. Also, there are several ways that you can misuse a sun flare, but this movie is not guilty of that. The shots Elswit got were gorgeous, to say the least.
However, the extremely high definition image quality was unsettling. As a realist, you might appreciate the unapologetic sharpness in each shot, but if you are a romantic moviegoer, ready to be transported into the world of the film, this will be a disappointing component.
The score was a stunning set of compositions by Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead, who has composed for two other Anderson films: "There Will Be Blood" and "The Master." An issue arises with this, however, because the beautiful score is used too much, if you can believe it.
Though the score perfectly fits with the mood of the film, Anna Wiegand, another audience member, said, “It was a mindless, endless background of almost '70s music. It was very distracting.”
While the quality of the scores was superb, with flowing flutes over a full orchestra, there never seemed to be a time when the audience didn’t hear it, which took away some of its power.
The biggest complaint I have about this movie is its lack of human perspective. There was not a single moment during the entire movie in which I felt connected to or related with any of the characters. This is partially due to the absurd plot points, but it’s also a result of the long and winding dialogue that was present throughout the film.
For the Wes Anderson fans out there, you will find this style familiar and engrossing, but for those who have not and probably will never see "The Life Aquatic," "Moonrise Kingdom" or "The Darjeeling Limited," this will seem out of place and impractical. Either way you slice it, with such an overwhelming amount of conversation, it’s difficult to distinguish the vital pieces of information from the random nonsense that will either charm or harm your perspective.
Despite these few flaws, if you’re looking for a movie that will pleasantly surprise, scandalously shock and woefully amaze you, "Inherent Vice" is victorious on all counts.
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