If you’re of the opinion that a new Paul Thomas Anderson film is an event and deserves to be anticipated as such, then you are surely excited about the director’s upcoming movie, Inherent Vice. (We would include ourselves in that group here at The AP Party.)
Based on the novel by Thomas Pynchon, the noirish story takes place in 1970s Los Angeles and follows pothead private investigator Doc Sportello (played by Joaquin Phoenix). Doc has been asked by an ex-girlfriend to look into the strange disappearance of a real estate mogul, whom she happens to be having an affair with.
What stands out about the trailer for Inherent Vice is that this movie looks fun, unlike the deadly serious tone of Anderson’s previous films, There Will Be Blood and The Master. Anderson has shown a sense of humor in his previous work, but it’s been missing from his most recent projects, so it’s nice to see him getting back to that. Maybe he just needed to find the right material.
Given the setting and tone, it might be natural to compare this to The Big Lebowski. But the scope of Inherent Vice — not to mention the cast — looks much wider. Additionally, it’s based on a source novel that Anderson was reportedly extremely faithful to both in the writing and filming of this movie.
Inherent Vice, which also stars Reese Witherspoon, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson and Benicio Del Toro among many others, opens in theaters on Dec. 12.
