Smoke and fog

Inherent Vice

Crit

OK, now I've seen my most anticipated 2014 film that didn't open here until 2015, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't put me on the spot about whether it's great, or even whether it would have been on my top 10 list had I seen it in time. I feel sort of a contact high, fuddled by the secondhand smoke from private investigator Doc Sportello's (Joaquin Phoenix) ever-present joint.

I can say I laughed a lot. I can say I was thoroughly engaged, though less by the questions of what has become of Mickey Wolfmann (Eric Roberts, one of maybe a half-dozen top-flight actors who get a single scene) or whether snitch Coy Harlingen (Owen Wilson) can be rehabilitated into hearth and home than in how Doc and the bereaved Lt. Det. Christian F. "Bigfoot" Bjornsen (Josh Brolin) resolve their personal crises. I can also say that the soundtrack kicks ass.

If pressed, I guess (1) probably not, but (2) yeah, in the middle or lower.

Trailers

• American Sniper--I'd love permission to give this a miss, but said permission seems not to be forthcoming.
• McFarland USA--Sports inspiration from Disney.