'Inherent Vice' Movie Review, Trailer Stars Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin Movies for Grownups

Joaquin Phoenix Is Pynchon Himself

The chameleonic star embodies the ' Inherent Vice' author' s drug-hazed take on 1970s L A

Rating: R Run Time: 2 hours 28 minutes Stars: Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro, Jena Malone, Joaquin Phoenix, Martin Short, Katherine Waterston, Owen Wilson, Reese Witherspoon Director: Paul Thomas Anderson was the perfect choice to bring the hallucinogenic noir of a novel to the screen. Like the cerebral and reclusive novelist (, , ), Anderson (, , ) packs his movies with quirky characters and outrageous twists. Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection “Inherent Vice” is a roller coaster ride with endearing weirdos, including Katherine Waterston and Joaquin Phoenix. Readers of — Pynchon's 2009 thriller that plunged headlong into 1970s L.A. counterculture, showing us a byzantine counterculture through the half-mast eyes of toker detective Doc Sportello — may be excused for thinking the book was essentially unfilmable. But Anderson comes mighty close to convincingly immersing us in Pynchon's sun-drenched underworld. stars as Sportello, a spaced-out private eye who's investigating two cases at once: the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend Shasta Fay Hepworth, played by the sexy (yup — !), and the possible murder of the husband of another client, Hope Harlingen, played by the prim . After an elaborately detailed setup — thank God that Anderson used a narrator (Joanna Newsom) — Inherent Vice uncorks the plot twists, which tumble through the story like a bunch of stoners through a bag of Cheetos. Don't worry if you can't follow this roller coaster of strange turns — the fully baked Sportello himself barely manages to keep pace. After the first hour, you'll relinquish your linear narrative hang-up and just be happy to hang with these endearing weirdos: Sportello's lifelong nemesis/comrade, a straitlaced L.A. cop (); his current lover, a severely compromised district attorney (); his client's possibly dead (but maybe not) hubby (); the informant who would just as soon betray him (); and Hollywood's worst dentist since (). is a writer, editor and movie critic for AARP Media.

Also of Interest br

Visit the for great deals and savings tips Featured AARP Member Benefits See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.