A Movie Review: Inherent Vice

Inherent Vice. As the movie started, I immediately came to the realization that this just wasn't the movie for me.  It is a drug induced movie that I think really requires the watcher to also be in a drug induced state to enjoy it.

The main character of this movie is, Doc (Joaquin Phoenix).  Doc isn't a doctor, even though he works out of a medical office.  He is a private investigator.  Doc gets a visit from his ex-girlfriend, Shasta (Katherine Waterston).  She wants his help.  She has a new lover, real estate developer named Wolfmann.  Wolfmann is an eccentric.  He happens to be a Jew who hangs with white supremacists.  Shasta has learned of a plot.  Wolfmann is married.  His wife and lover plan to send Wolfmann to an insane asylum.

From there, the movie grows ever more complex so one needs to pay attention.  New characters come into play in a six degrees separation manner.  They're all connected and sometimes Doc finds himself employed by both sides.  For example, a mother/wife asks Doc to track down her husband.  She was told that her husband is dead, but she doesn't believe it.  When Doc tracks down the husband, the husband asks that he look into how the wife is doing.

This is a complex weave that works well though at times one might find themselves a touch lost.  I suspect a second viewing would definitely clean up the connections for someone.  My problem is that the movie's dialogue really is influenced by drug induced characters.  Yes, you get the gist of what they are saying, but most of it is a silly mess even though they think they're being profound.  That is why I seriously think being on drugs might help in watching this movie, because one might find all that dialogue amusing if one is in an altered state.  As for me and those in the theater, I don't think I heard a single laugh -- indicating that everyone was very much not in an altered state while viewing.