Review of Inherent Vice

It was probably an unwise decision for Paul Anderson to adapt one of the least successful novels from Thomas Pynchon (it was unsuccessful for a reason). While the acting is great and the film shows off the director's trademark visuals, the movie is sabotaged by the wildly complex and incomprehensible plot and far too many characters, all of whom are burdened with bizarre names and wild eccentricities, to keep track of. Each scene on its own is interesting but when the whole thing is thrown together it is just a jumbled mess that, much like the source material, can be really difficult to follow and/or interpret.