Inherent Vice (2014)

Director Paul Thomas Anderson reteams with his The Master lead Joaquin Phoenix in this sprawling 70's noir based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Pynchon. Inherent Vice is a rambling comedy drama with a winding plot concerning among other things drug smuggling and real estate development, it's massive largely name cast boasts the desired norish mix of odd ball characters. Not the emotional gut punch of The Master or There Will Be Blood, I'm not sure what if anything the film is trying to say on a subtextual level, it seems to be mainly about homage and playing in genre form. But its finely crafted and intriguing. and at 2 1/2 hours in length it only occasionally drags. This movie also makes me want to give The Nice Guys another viewing. *** 1/2