Inherent Vice

Perhaps there’s a reason that nobody has been granted license to adapt a Thomas Pynchon novel for the big screen. Between the unique rhythm of his writing and the dense prose, it’s tough to make a coherent narrative.

So you have to credit acclaimed filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson for his ambition with Inherent Vice, an epic crime saga that’s frequently hilarious for those in the right mood. And that mood might require substances to achieve.

The story seems to begin in the middle as we meet Larry “Doc” Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix), a drugged-out private investigator of sorts in Los Angeles circa 1970 who is trying to solve the mystery brought to him by an ex-girlfriend (Katherine Waterston), regarding the disappearance of her lover, a real-estate bigwig.

That leads him on an odyssey through some dark and seedy locales, and meetings with a collection of eccentrics such as a musician (Owen Wilson) who’s widely presumed to be dead, an ally (Benicio Del Toro) who provides some key clues, and a supposed dentist (Martin Short) whose office provides other services instead.

Along the way, we gradually learn who Sportello really is, what he really does, and why he’s always in trouble with his nemesis, a hard-boiled cop (Josh Brolin) with an ax to grind.

The film is anchored by a wonderfully eccentric character and performance. Phoenix feels just right as he disappears into Sportello’s mismatched clothes, shaggy afro wig and overgrown mutton chops. But the quirks run deeper than that, mostly because he’s hallucinating most of the time and can’t fully distinguish fantasy from reality.

Anderson’s screenplay remains emotionally aloof since there’s not much substance beneath the weirdness. It’s almost a given that the story is sometimes head-scratching as it meanders between encounters with various creeps and oddballs. Even Sportello isn’t necessarily a likeable character, yet he’s a compulsively watchable one. Waterston finds terrific depth in a role that’s more than just a sultry sexpot.

Inherent Vice has some clever visual touches and is evocative in its re-creation of time and place, and although it goes on too long, with Anderson it’s never boring or predictable.

Fully immersed in the hippie lifestyle, the film is practically a feature-length anti-drug public service announcement. Or maybe it’s just the opposite. Whether stoned or sober, it’s a fascinating ride.

Rated R, 148 minutes.