Inherent Vice (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2014)

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therewillbeblus
Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2015 3:40 pm

Re: Inherent Vice (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2014)

#276 Post by therewillbeblus » Sat Jul 18, 2020 10:48 pm

Another (fifth, sixth?) viewing and the film is just getting better and better, to the point where it’s vying for my favorite PTA. The term “atmospheric” gets thrown around a lot, but this film just doses its audience with a buzz laced with humor and fear, an amalgamation that works on a surface level of eclectic sensory enjoyment and a deeper level of existential disturbance. The political angle strikes at both very real Anglo-conspiring segregations of power and a joke of flip flopping loyalty to institutional mirages, just as sobering flashes of clarity pierce through the surrealistic haze. The meshing of all the colors flooding the screen (has PTA ever made a more diverse film, using every single cinematic tool to evoke such multitudes of mood?) forces a feeling of being stoned, and the outrageous subtle and slapstick visual gags are only bested occasionally by the auditory ones. For all the dense thematic strengths, this is simply one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen, often because of the contrast of humor with serious experience. The verbal gags add to the confusion and paranoia wonderfully, my favorite being
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“Would you like the use the facilities... use the bathroom... use the bathroom before you take a tour of the facilities?”

flyonthewall2983
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 3:31 pm
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Re: Inherent Vice (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2014)

#277 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Sat Oct 09, 2021 10:42 am

mfunk9786 wrote:
Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:18 am
Viewed on an edible.

This has grown on me like moss since I saw it for the first time at its NYFF premiere and didn't like it so much, squinting my ears at the often mumbled dialogue and feeling as though it just went on and on.

It is a mysterious masterpiece, beautifully existing in the space of its characters - understanding as much as they do, but still much more than we do. Awash in regret and melancholy.
Squinting isn’t good for your eyesight

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