movie: Inherent Vice (Phoenix, paul thomas anderson)

[lennytheweedwhacker]

i haven't read the book or seen this yet, but i agree with orpheus

[Orpheus]

And does any director use color more beautifully? Some of the shades in this movie were just dazzling.

[lennytheweedwhacker]

And does any director use color more beautifully? Some of the shades in this movie were just dazzling.

i noticed that in the trailer

[LoathedVermin72]

Im reading the book..and to be honest, its really hard to keep track of it...

Sounds like the movie is an accurate representation then

Yeah I pretty much knew it would be like that going in so it didn't bother me much. I think it's intended to put you in the same state as Doc, which I could understand many viewers not enjoying. I loved it. And honestly compared to something like trying to read Gravity's Rainbow this was a walk in the park. PTA definitely understood what he was adapting and how it would be difficult to make it come across.

I don't disagree, but nothing in the movie connected with me in any meaningful way. If there had been an insightful/relevant thematic through-line to pull me through the purposely dense, impenetrable narrative, I wouldn't have cared. Even an aesthetic through-line would have been okay. But nothing hooked me.

[BurtReynolds]

you guys need to watch this again so you can catch up.

[BurtReynolds]

so you can get it.

[Bob Loblaw]

I kinda hated this even though I wanted to love it.

[LoathedVermin72]

Great piece by Bret Easton Ellis, even though I have a few quibbles here and there (calling TWBB and The Master "humorless" is just incorrect): http://thetalkhouse.com/film/talks/nove ... rent-vice/

[Malloy]

i think most everyone got this one wrong, and even ellis is playing it somewhat safe with his "mixed" review

[LoathedVermin72]

What did you make of it, 'loy?

[Malloy]

i thought it was quite good

[LoathedVermin72]

That doesn't tell me much

[Orpheus]

i thought it was quite good

I'll definitely be watching it again when it hits the home market.

[Simple Torture]

Just (finally) watched this today, and I dig it. A fascinating film that fits nicely into Anderson's body of work, although I think it certainly reveals why more postmodern novels (Pynchon, Delillo, etc.) haven't been adapted into films. There are two devices that I think speak directly to this: Doc's notes and Doc's whiteboard. The latter is a tantalizing hint that the whole plot may come together and fit like a complex puzzle, but it doesn't hang on the screen long enough to answer many questions. Doc's notes mock the idea of an unreliable narrator: as soon as he writes "not hallucinating," it'd be easy to yell, "Ah-ha! Unreliable narrator!" But I think Doc's trippiness adds coherence to the narrative instead of taking it away.

The final scene between Doc and Bigfoot was among my favorites, and it also made me hit my head and say: "Of course!" I think this film will hold up to repeated viewings, and one thing I'll be paying attention to next time is how Doc and Bigfoot's relationship is really the driving force of the plot. My ah-ha moment here is because, of course, most of Anderson's movies are centered around working out the complexities of male-male relationships (Punch Drunk Love obviously doesn't fit; Magnolia might not have a center like that per se, but there are some relationships in there that fit the bill). But while TWBB, Boogie Nights, and Hard Eight have more of a father-son thing going, this is more fraternal. I dunno, just getting initial thoughts down, but I'm going to come back to this, I'm sure of it.

[Orpheus]

The final scene between them is one of the best and funniest things I've ever seen in a movie theatre.

[Simple Torture]

The sex scene with Shasta was also very well done, and the tone was much, much different in the novel. The film turned a goofy, over-the-top romp into something seedy and full of dangerous sexual energy.

[E.H. Ruddock]

This movie was annoying and not very good

[LoathedVermin72]

This movie was annoying and not very good

Yes

[Rangi Guy]

I'll probably see this before watching Blackhat