First Inherent Vice Image Reveals Joaquin Phoenix And Josh Brolin

Without a doubt, one of this fall’s most anticipated films is Inherent Vice, a noirish detective thriller from The Master director Paul Thomas Anderson. For months, we’ve been predicting that the film will arrive as one of the most potent Oscar contenders in this year’s race, thanks both to Anderson’s proven abilities behind the camera and the brilliant cast he’s put together. Now, thanks to Entertainment Weekly, we have our first look at stars Joaquin Phoenix and Josh Brolin.

The small image is part of the magazine’s upcoming Fall Movie Preview issue, and a larger image is expected to land online shortly. But for now, you can still bask in the grainy glory of Phoenix and Brolin’s ridiculous haircuts:

Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Benicio del Toro, Jena Malone, Eric Roberts, Maya Rudolph, Michael K. Williams, Jillian Bell and Sasha Pieterse all have roles in the film, which is based on a novel by Thomas Pynchon.

Here’s the synopsis for Inherent Vice, in case you’re unfamiliar with the source material. The film opens on December 12th.

Part noir, part psychedelic romp, all Thomas Pynchon – private eye Doc Sportello surfaces, occasionally, out of a marijuana haze to watch the end of an era.

In this lively yarn, Thomas Pynchon, working in an unaccustomed genre that is at once exciting and accessible, provides a classic illustration of the principle that if you can remember the sixties, you weren’t there.

It’s been a while since Doc Sportello has seen his ex-girlfriend. Suddenly she shows up with a story about a plot to kidnap a billionaire land developer whom she just happens to be in love with. It’s the tail end of the psychedelic sixties in L.A., and Doc knows that “love” is another of those words going around at the moment, like “trip” or “groovy,” except that this one usually leads to trouble. Undeniably one of the most influential writers at work today, Pynchon has penned another unforgettable book.