Like the city of Los Angeles and its multiple suburbs, Anderson’s films are often sprawling, and this one particularly so.

This adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s novel, which was considered unfilmable is chaotic and over-crowded, boasting the largest number of ensembles.

A lack of clear and coherent text makes problems worse. Thereare too many one-joke or one note weirdos in place of the three-dimensional eccentrics that populate Anderson’s other group portraits.

In other ensemble movies, say Boogie Nights, the director succeeded in juggling dozens of characters without short-changing anyone of them–each one had his/her moment.

Inspired no doubt by Altman’s 1973 The Long Goodbye and the Coen brothers’ The Big Lebowski, the movie centers on Joaquin Phoenix’s self-medicating “Doc,” who pot-smokes his way through a SoCal conspiracy, ending up bleary eyed and disoriented.

Cast

Joaquin Phoenix as Larry “Doc” Sportello
Josh Brolin as Lieutenant Christian F. “Bigfoot” Bjornsen
Owen Wilson as Coy Harlingen
Katherine Waterston as Shasta Fay Hepworth
Reese Witherspoon as Deputy District Attorney Penny Kimball
Benicio del Toro as Sauncho Smilax, Esq.
Jena Malone as Hope Harlingen
Joanna Newsom as Sortilège, who is also the narrator
Jordan Christian Hearn as Denis
Hong Chau as Jade
Jeannie Berlin as Aunt Reet
Maya Rudolph as Petunia Leeway
Michael Kenneth Williams as Tariq Khalil
Michelle Sinclair as Clancy Charlock
Martin Short as Dr. Rudy Blatnoyd, D.D.S.
Sasha Pieterse as Japonica Fenway
Martin Donovan as Crocker Fenway
Eric Roberts as Michael Z. “Mickey” Wolfmann
Jillian Bell as Chlorinda
Serena Scott Thomas as Sloane Wolfmann
Yvette Yates as Luz
Andrew Simpson as Riggs Warbling
Jefferson Mays as Dr. Threeply, Chryskylodon Institute
Keith Jardine as Puck Beaverton
Peter McRobbie as Adrian Prussia
Sam Jaeger as FBI Agent Flatweed
Timothy Simons as FBI Agent Borderline
Samantha Lemole as Golden Fang Mother
Madison Leisle as Golden Fang Daughter
Matt Doyle as Golden Fang Father
Liam Van Joosten as Golden Fang Son