‘Inherent Vice’ Trailer: Paul Thomas Anderson’s Strange Little Detective Flick

2014 films have been a bit underwhelming. But with October just around the corner, you can expect to see more and more Oscar bait, which will hopefully pick up the slack made by 3/4s of the year. Now we are getting our first look at Paul Thomas Anderson‘s Inherent Vice, an adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s novel of the same name.

The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as private detective Larry “Doc Sportello” (Joaquin Phoenix) is hired by a former lover to investigate the kidnapping of her current boyfriend by his wife and her boyfriend. Inherent Vice doesn’t look as dark and brooding as some of his previous efforts, in fact it looks more goofy and light-hearted while staying true to his style and tone. Hit the jump to check out the first trailer of Inherent Vice.

Apple has the trailer in HD.

The film feels like it was pulled right out of the 70s, and the feels more akin to the likes of Boogie Nights as opposed to his human condition piece The Master. Aside of the brilliant casting of Joaquin Phoenix, Anderson seems to have assembled himself a perfect cast that consists of Owen Wilson, Katherine Waterston, Reese Witherspoon, Benicio Del Toro, Martin Short, Jena Malone, and Joanna Newsom.

Inherent Vice opens limited on December 12, then will expand wide on January 9, 2015.

“Inherent Vice” is the seventh feature from Paul Thomas Anderson and the first film adaption of a Thomas Pynchon novel. When P.I. Doc Sportello’s ex-old lady shows up with a story about her current billionaire land developer boyfriend and a plot by his wife and her boyfriend to kidnap that billionaire and throw him in a looney bin… well, easy for her to say. It’s the tail end of the `60s, paranoia is running the day and Doc knows that “love” is one of those words going around, like “trip” or “groovy,” that’s way too overused–except this one usually leads to trouble. With a cast of characters that includes surfers, hustlers, dopers and rockers, a murderous loan shark, LAPD Detectives, a tenor sax player working undercover and a mysterious entity known as the Golden Fang, which may only be a tax dodge set up by some dentists… Part surf noir, part psychedelic romp–all Thomas Pynchon.