100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 22: Inherent Vice

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Genre: Crime/ Drama/ Comedy

Runtime: 148 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Katherine Waterston, Eric Roberts, Benicio Del Toro, Jena Malone, Reese Witherspoon, Maya Rudolph, Martin Short

Description: In 1970, drug-fueled Los Angeles detective Larry "Doc" Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) investigates the disappearance of a former girlfriend.

Review: When you see the name of director Paul Thomas Anderson on a movie poster, you have certain expectations. He has movies like “Magnolia”, “Boogie Nights” and “There Will Be Blood” on his resume.

With “Inherent Vice” Anderson chose a book to movie adaptation. Books by author Thomas Pynchon are known for its complexity, so it’s not that strange this is the first adaptation.

The seventies have just begun and we join private detective Larry Sportello, better known as Doc. His ex-girlfriend Shasta walks in and starts telling him about a collusion to get her wealthy, married lover into a psychiatric facility. Doc decides to investigate. Before he knows it, he is surrounded by strippers, neo-Nazis, hostile cops and eccentric cults.

“Inherent Vice” makes you feel like that one sober person at a party. The more you try to hold on to a logic story development, the more frustrated you’ll get. And the long duration will also add to that confusion. You really need a ‘go with the flow’ mentality.

When it comes to style and setting, “Inherent Vice” doesn’t disappoint. Like he did in “Boogie Nights”, again he shows us how masterful he can take the audience to a certain time period. And the soundtrack is also worth mentioning.

“Inherent Vice” is not a movie for just everyone, it’s for a selective audience. It’s not one of my favorite Anderson movies, but definitely not bad.

Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Trailer Sunday (158)

Here are this weeks trailers.

Inherent Vice

Description: In 1970, drug-fueled Los Angeles detective Larry "Doc" Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) investigates the disappearance of a former girlfriend.

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Katherine Waterston, Reese Witherspoon, Benicio Del Toro, Martin Short, Jena Malone, Joanna Newson

Trailer: Trailer "Inherent Vice"

Comment: Great cast and director, great expectations!

Taken 3

Description: Ex-government operative Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) finds his life is shattered when he's falsely accused of a murder that hits close to home. As he's pursued by a savvy police inspector, Mills employs his particular set of skills to track the real killer and exact his unique brand of justice.

Director: Olver Megaton

Starring: Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Famke Janssen, Maggie Grace, Dougray Scott, Sam Spruell, Leland Orser

Trailer: Trialer "Taken 3"

Comment: "Taken" was awesome, "Taken 2" not so awesome. Somehow I'm still interested in "Taken 3", because Bryan Mills is one cool character.

Inside Out

Description: Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it's no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions: Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley's mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley's main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.

Director: Pete Docter

Starring: Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black

Trailer: Trailer "Inside Out"

Comment: Only a teaser, but can't wait to see this new Pixar movie.

American Sniper

Description: U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) is sent to Iraq with only one mission: to protect his brothers-in-arms. His pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and, as stories of his courageous exploits spread, he earns the nickname "Legend." However, his reputation is also growing behind enemy lines, putting a price on his head and making him a prime target of insurgents. He is also facing a different kind of battle on the home front: striving to be a good husband and father from halfway around the world. br /> Director: Clint Eastwood

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller

Trailer: Trailer "American Sniper"

Comment: Eastwood hardly ever disappoints as a director and I'm becoming more and more of a fan of Bradley Cooper as an actor.

Home Sweet Hell

Description: In the film, Mona (Heigl) and Don�s (Wilson) seemingly perfect suburban bliss is disrupted by a sexy extortionist and Mona will stop at nothing, including killing the competition, to keep her little slice of heaven.

Director: Anthony Burns

Starring: Katherine Heigl, Patrick Wilson, Jordana Brewster, Kevin McKidd, James Belushi

Trailer: Trailer "Home Sweet Hell"

Comment: Probably not any good, it's filled with actors no one wants.