Inherent Vice Review

I don't typically come right out in a review and recommend the source material a movie is based on, because I try to focus solely on the film itself, but before you go see the new Paul Thomas Anderson film Inherent Vice, but you should read the source material of the same name by acclaimed author Thomas Pynchon. I had already tasted the deliciously bizarre world occupied by characters like Larry "Doc" Sportello, Shasta Fay Hepworth, Mickey Wolfmann and, last but not least, "Bigfoot" Bjornsen thanks to my reading the book well in advance of seeing it brought to the big screen. The craziest thing is, not only did I not have the film spoiled for me by knowing what would unfold, I actually was still a bit confused trying to piece together the puzzle while watching.

While I read the novel, at times I had absolutely no idea what was happening but by the end I knew I absolutely loved what all the words amounted to. The film follows a similar pattern, and it isn't that the plot itself is complicated, its the way it navigates through it that makes it occasionally challenging to follow. Joaquin Phoenix plays the lead role of Larry "Doc" Sportello, a drugged out private investigator who is tasked with a job working for his ex-girlfriend Shasta, who hires Doc to prevent the potential abduction of her new lover Mickey. 

My intention is not to make this film seem ridiculous or daunting. I mean, it is ridiculous, but it absolutely needs to be seen. PT Anderson is a modern genius auteur, a man who I have often compared to Stanley Kubrick which is probably the biggest compliment you can pay a filmmaker. When I make such a comparison, it isn't meant to say they are on equal footing because I simply cannot go there yet with PTA, but instead just when you compare their careers in general. Anderson is one of an elite group who actually have the balls to essentially take on any genre and absolutely nail it, which is rare and something that needs to be cherished. If a lesser filmmaker attempted to transition from the tone of The Master to an adaptation of Inherent Vice, I would have assumed it was destined for failure, but PTA? Why the hell not, the guy can take absolutely anything and craft a masterpiece out of it.

Kubrick made heavy, serious films like Paths of Glory, 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining, yet he is also responsible for quite possibly the greatest comedic work of all time with Dr. Strangelove. Paul Thomas Anderson delivers There Will Be Blood, The Master, Boogie Nights and Magnolia, and then all the sudden he comes out of nowhere with a drugged out, laugh out loud funny film like this, and he knocks it out of the park.

For some reason I am not ready to place Inherent Vice at the same level as previous PTA masterpieces just yet, but I know for a fact it will get there with a revisit, and shit does this not only demand a revisit, it flat out deserves it. There is so much to take in, so much to comprehend, so much to appreciate, even if you watch it the first time and ask yourself "What the hell did I just watch?" you will do so with a smile on your face, because whatever it is, it's fucking great.

4.5/5 

Nightcrawler Review

Nicolas Winding Refn wasn't even on my radar prior to my witnessing the recent neon soaked urban masterpiece Drive, a film that navigated the streets of Los Angeles in a way that can only be described as cool. He had previous films under his belt, but in my world it was his debut into my cinematic soul and I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face no matter what was taking place on the screen. Deranged deaths and the gloomy haze of a polluted city at night, it all tasted delicious and I wanted more, but who could duplicate such a vibe? Others have extracted a similarly strange sex appeal from content that should never make a level headed human being aroused, filmmakers like Michael Mann and David Fincher off the top of my head, but would I ever discover something new that would impact me the way Drive did?

I'm not 100 percent sure I can put you on that pedestal just yet, Dan Gilroy, but I know at the very least you came really, shockingly close.

Nightcrawler tells the story of a man named Lou Bloom, played so well by Jake Gyllenhaal that I can't even decipher what the proper adjectives would be to make anyone reading this understand, so I will circle back to that with a clearer mind soon. Bloom is looking for a job, and after some initial failings in that regard he stumbles upon a car wreck early one morning and he witnesses a cameraman named Joe Loder (Bill Paxson) capturing the tragedy on camera. As the sun rises a few hours later, that same footage recorded by Loder ran on a local morning news, and Bloom considers that the financial possibilities found with this unconventional career opportunity may be exactly the type of thing he was looking for.

Eerie, hypnotic, unsettling, striking, unnerving, haunting, hilarious, and much like Drive, so god damn cool, Nightcrawler is a wonderful balance of all of this and more. Photographed by Robert Elswit, who has some notable experience working with similar cityscape imagery as the regular cinematographer of the genius auteur Paul Thomas Anderson, I could bathe in the gorgeous aesthetic on display throughout this film. The directorial debut of Dan Gilroy, and by god keep em' coming sir. If this is the vision you are capable of the very first time you step behind the camera, I cannot wait to see what comes next.

None of this works without Gyllenhaal though. I am not typically a performance guy, not because I don't admire the work of actors at the top of their craft but rather because I am simply more drawn to those working behind the screens (see above where I gush about names like Refn, Robert Elswit, PT Anderson and Dan Gilroy), but I cannot ignore the importance of the lead performance here. With the physical transformation of a significant weight loss by Gyllenhaal came a total investment in the character, and thus the work done here has the potential to be iconic. I couldn't take my eyes off of him throughout, as even the slightest mannerism or most minor facial expression seemed to add depth to the character. Probably the finest work by an actor thus far in 2014, and that includes Eddie Redmayne who essentially was Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. Gyllenhaal absolutely owns Nightcrawler, and I honestly can't tell you what I would do if I saw the man approach me tomorrow. A part of me feels I would want to shake his hand, tell him that I am a big fan and spew praise of what he accomplished here, but another part of me would think Lou Bloom was heading my way with his motivational pitch, ready to offer me a career opportunity. Just the idea of that will keep me up at night.

A vibrant, exciting film about obsession and a wonderful, clever satire about the true goal of the media when they are delivering us the news. One of the best films of 2014, my goodness I can't wait to take this wild ride again.

4.5/5