I just saw Inherent Vice, the new film from P.T. Anderson based on the Pynchon novel. Hands down the best new release, in my opinion, since Michael Haneke’s Amour came out two years ago. I wouldn’t be surprised if Joaquin Phoenix wins an Oscar for his astonishing performance.
But one thing kind of unsettled me. Owen Wilson played a key role in this film, and like everyone else in the cast, he was excellent. Except whenever I see Owen Wilson on screen, I tend to think of the other Anderson.
Just as Robert De Niro was muse to Martin Scorsese, and John Wayne to Howard Hawks, Owen Wilson has long been the on-screen avatar for Wes Anderson. So as I watched, part of me kept waiting for Bill Murray or Jason Schwartzman to show up.
Oh well, it could have been worse. If Malcolm McDowell had appeared in the movie, maybe I would have started thinking about Lindsay Anderson.