A pothead private eye named Larry “Doc” Sportello in 1970 southern California is called in by an ex-girlfriend to investigate the sinister disappearance of her married property tycoon lover. Inherent Vice does a remarkable job of translating Pynchon’s prose to the screen, with much of the dialogue lifted directly from the book. The inherent virtue is its comedy: it is dreamier, more deadpan and often sadder than Anderson’s previous movies, soaked in the plaintive lilt of Neil Young, beautiful and strange.