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Second Hand Smoke

The first film adaptation of a Thomas Pynchon novel, Paul Thomas Anderson's "Inherent Vice" stays true to the spirit of the source material - which proves to be both a virtue and a vice.

The hazy plot can be felt more than seen: stoned private eye Doc Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) looks for his ex-girlfriend Shasta (Katherine Waterson) in 1970 Los Angeles, who disappeared after asking for his help. Her current billionaire boyfriend Mickey Wolfmann (Eric Roberts) is going to be kidnapped and institutionalized by his own wife and her lover. But that doesn't matter. In stoner noir, the only clue worth following is not to have one.

"Inherent Vice" takes us on a trip through the state of Paranoia, populated by Black Nationalists, FBI agents, Ouija boards, and a group called the Golden Fang, which may be a drug cartel or some tax-evading dentists. This trip has previously been taken via different routes in "The Long Goodbye" and "The Big Lebowski," among others (including, to some extent, P.T. Anderson's own "Boogie Nights").

Joaquin Phoenix does as much with the role as could be hoped, communicating as much with his eyebrows as his mouth, which is often busy dragging on a joint. Josh Brolin stands out as detective Christian "Bigfoot" Bjornsen, due not only to his buzzcut hair but to his animated energy in a movie that often seems like it's in slow motion. Brief, curious appearances are made by Owen Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Benicio Del Toro, Reese Witherspoon, and Martin Short.

Doc's assistant Sortilege (Joanna Newsom) provides some direction as the movie's narrator, and delivers the meatier Pynchon passages. Neil Young is an honorary cast member, appearing on much of the soundtrack, and he is a fitting choice for the movie's temperment, which wavers between the sentimental and the sublime.
What's worse than being the only one high at a party is being the only one who isn't. If you didn't know that before "Inherent Vice," you'll know after. With a 2-and-a-half hour runtime, you may even know what it feels like to be Shasta's boyfriend: kidnapped and institutionalized.