At this point, there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice is going to be one of this fall’s most fascinating and unique cinematic experiences. Initial impressions of the film, an adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s detective novel, have been both overwhelmingly positive and emphatic about just how weird the zany script and tone are, while those involved with the production have also voiced excitement about the way in which the finished product plays.
Now, star Josh Brolin has again spoken about the joys and peculiarities of working on Inherent Vice, a project he previously called “great” and “absolute fucking chaos.” Chatting with EW, he said:
“With this [film], there was a lack of pretense, a really strange lack of pretense. When something isn’t working, you can say, ‘This feels like a turd. Let’s cut the middle three pages. I’ll try to improvise and provide a bridge. How about some pancakes?’”
That’s right – apparently, pancakes play a role in the gonzo, ’70s-set noir. And that’s not all – said Brolin, “A piece of fruit plays a major role. It’s frozen. And it’s my friend. Even talking about it now is making me chuckle.”
Brolin further extolled the film, explaining, “It’s Cirque du Soleil more than pretentious filmmaking.” Ever since the film was completed, one common thread in discussions about it is that Inherent Vice features a very different Paul Thomas Anderson than we’ve seen before. And though we’re all wildly anticipating finding out exactly what that means, early responses to the film have indicated that it may not be the lock for Oscar attention that we’re all assuming it is. Of course, that’s not to say that Inherent Vice won’t be good – on the contrary, it being too weird for the Academy may be a great thing.
We’ll find out just what PTA has up his sleeve when the film opens December 12th.
