It can best described it as a stoner noir set in 1970, one that isn't actually that interested in the solving of the case at hand.

And I'm not so sure that P.T. Anderson's telling the truth about how the novel won't help those who wish to read it before they see this, though I think he's talking thematically, since the plot points are lifted almost directly from the book (though the ending is tweaked), which itself was pretty dense, plot-wise, which apparently is a Pynchon thing (this was the first book of his that I've read). Hmm, maybe that's why he said what he said.

*shrugs*

Anyway, fun performances from Joaquin, Josh Brolin, and Katherine Waterston. There's a scene with Joaquin and Waterston that unfortunately might launch more than a few think pieces, but frankly, fuck that shit in advance. Reese Witherspoon, Benecio Del Toro, Owen Wilson and Eric Roberts have a few scenes. And if you blink you'll miss Michael K. Williams and Maya, but whatever. Also, Martin Short's up in this piece, snorting coke and whatnot.

Lots of weed, more than a few naughty sight gags, lots of sunshine and melancholy vibes and long hair and stuff. Oh, and another special Jonny Greenwood score and a cool soundtrack.

This won't be everyone's cup of tea, especially clocking in at 2 and a half hours. But I was entertained by the overall vibe of it, and found that P.T. Anderson wears the lighter tone well. The movie's like a spiritual cousin of sorts to Boogie Nights, BUT DON'T GET EXCITED WHEN YOU READ THAT, it's not Boogie Nights The Remix, they're only similar in tone and theme (lamenting the so-called lost innocence of back in the day).

And it's also interesting to me, from a filmmaking standpoint, how much P.T. Anderson has evolved since Boogie Nights. I mean, the Scorsese "homages" that he was known for, where there's a lot of quick dollies and zooms and cuts, are pretty much gone, replaced by much slower dollies and tracking shots, and scenes that take their time to unfold. I don't miss the old P.T. Anderson at all, especially when he makes good shit like this.

________________________________________________________________________________
Niggas created aliases.