If ever there was a director bold enough to take on an adaptation of postmodern behemoth Thomas Pynchon, it’s Paul Thomas Anderson. Inherent Vice is based on the 2009 novel of the same name set in 1970s California. Anderson sets himself a difficult challenge as the first (and still only!) person to adapt Pynchon for the screen. Remarkably enough, he even received Pynchon’s support which is incredible considering how much of a recluse the author is.
Inherent Vice is the most straightforward text as far as plot and setting goes as the focus on a singular character, Doc Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) makes the film more accessible than say Gravity’s Rainbow which has hundreds of named characters. Phoenix delivers another knockout performance as the aloof Sportello, a drugged out cop trying to find his missing ex-girlfriend, Shasta (Katherine Waterston).
Waterston is the “find” of the film, gaining her mainstream breakthrough with her portrayal of Shasta Fay Hepworth. While other characters including Doc and Lieutenant Christian F. “Bigfoot” Bjornsen (Josh Brolin) are larger than life caricatures, Shasta is the heart of the film and acts as its emotional anchor. Not only does Waterston hold her own against Phoenix’s transformative performance, but her presence is felt throughout the film, despite only being onscreen for around 15 minutes of the film’s 148-minute runtime.
The score is provided by longtime collaborator, Jonny Greenwood who taps into the mystery elements of the plot. While the songs on the soundtrack emphasise the uplifting hazy dreamland of hippie California, Greenwood’s score brings a darker edge with lovely motifs that linger and repeat throughout the film. The “Shasta” tracks are wonderful, getting longer and more complicated as the film goes on.
As a fan of Pynchon and the novel in particular, I understand why this one was picked to adapt out of all of them as he’s not a writer for the light-hearted. Even after the unique use of syntax and whirlpool of characters, he introduces drug-fuelled ideas that only make relative sense once you allow yourself to be fully immersed in the text.
The unfamiliarity of the source material can be off-putting for some, but it’s a great film with a brilliant script. A highly underrated film, it’s not one to underestimate.