Inherent Vice was written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Released in 2014, it is a film that blends comedy and crime, and which follows Joaquin Phoenix as Larry "Doc" Sportello, a private investigator in 1970. The film has an ensemble cast that includes Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Katherine Waterston, Reese Witherspoon, Benicio Del Toro, Martin Short, Jena Malone, and Maya Rudolph.
The film was made for an estimated $20 million and was distributed by Warner Bros., and is based on Thomas Pynchon's book of the same name. This was the auteur director's seventh film, and one which he drew inspiration from films including The Big Sleep, Kiss Me Deadly, Up in Smoke and The Long Goodbye. Principal photography began in May 2013 with Robert Elswit as the cinematographer. JoAnne Sellar and Daniel Lupi produced with Anderson.
