Licorice Pizza

Paul Thomas Anderson's love letter to the '70s San Fernando Valley is a nostalgic, whimsical and riotously funny coming-of-age film

Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the greatest American filmmakers working in Hollywood today. Having directed some of the greatest films of the 21st century such as “There Will Be Blood” and “Punch Drunk Love” as well as other strokes of genius such as “Boogie Nights” and “The Master.”

The auteur has done it all and has proven to be quite the diverse filmmaker just look at his last film “Phantom Thread,” a dramatic thriller set in ‘50s England chronicling the crippling fall of an esteemed dressmaker and compare it to his latest film “Licorice Pizza,” a joyous ode to coming of age in the ‘70s. Anderson has proven time and time again that he never sticks to one particular formula and that could be a major reason why he’s as celebrated as he is.

“Licorice Pizza” is set in the San Fernando valley, circa 1973 and opens with Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman), a 15-year-old actor and hustler who is smitten with the 25-year-old photographer’s assistant Alana Kane (Alana Haim). Gary badgers the young woman until she agrees to go out to dinner with him, thus beginning a strong and unlikely friendship between the two.

When Gary’s mother (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) is unable to be his chaperone for a New York trip promoting a new film he’s in starring an esteemed actress known as Lucy Doolittle (Christine Ebersole), he persuades Alana to come with him.

Gary’s fellow young co-stars are taken aback by Alana’s beauty, particularly the older and cocky Lance (Skyler Gisondo) who constantly flirts with Alana much to Gary’s chagrin. Upon returning home from the trip, Gary decides to start up a business selling waterbeds with Alana as his assistant, further strengthening their bond. As time passes, Alana becomes fascinated by Gary’s celebrity and decides that she too, wants to be an actor, which slowly causes a rift between the two.

“Licorice Pizza” is less a cohesive story than it is a slice-of-life film, much like Richard Linklater’s “Dazed & Confused” or Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird.” Anderson focuses in on creating a ‘70s aesthetic and aura by employing filming techniques of the era and boasting a nostalgic soundtrack featuring The Doors, David Bowie, Sonny & Cher and Nina Simone among others.

Much like Quentin Tarantino did with his ‘60s set “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood,” Licorice Pizza feels as if it’s a film of another era and combines new and old school filmmaking. Despite the lack of a concrete story, Anderson never loses sight of what he’s trying to do and creates a film that is so undeniably entertaining and joyous.

The atmosphere feels authentic, and it never once betrays its setting. Anderson’s assured direction and writing is as authentic as it is compelling. The auteur is known for getting ambitious in his films and his work on “Licorice Pizza” is easily some of his best since “There Will Be Blood.”

This is also perhaps his most accessible film to the general audience, why some might be off-put by the age-gap between the two leads, the film handles it delicately and consciously. It is already a sticky setup and one that is bound for an endless amount of irritating discourse, but the film feels so confident in regards to its handling of the subject that in the end it feels natural.

Anderson beautifully melds the film’s overall quirky nature with a story that feels personal and directly from the heart. There’s plenty of laugh-out-loud moments throughout, but there are also moments that feel distinctly grounded in humanity. He combines elements from plenty of his other work throughout his filmography and the result is something that feels truly unique.

While the film without a doubt boasts a mighty ensemble including names such as Bradley Cooper, Sean Penn and Tom Waits among others, this is Haim and Hoffman’s story through and through. Hoffman, who is the son of the late Oscar-winner and frequent PTA collaborator Phillip Seymour Hoffman, proves to be one of the most promising young actors in the business.

His character doesn’t always do the most commendable actions, but his raw and unfiltered charisma makes the character of Gary Valentine feel like a real teenager. There is nothing artificial about him and he already feels like a natural on screen.

Haim is outstanding as Alana Kane, blending together various personalities including the girl next door, an enigma, someone who is trying to make it in life and lastly and most importantly somebody with pure human emotion. Despite this being the musician’s first major acting role, she already feels like a sincere and genuine actress.

One can only hope both Hoffman and Haim’s acting careers will take off even further upon this film’s release as they prove their are truly capable of carrying a prestige film.

Cooper is a riot as real-life and neurotic Hollywood producer Jon Peters, despite his very limited screen time. Cooper plays to the comedic beats perfectly and is responsible for some of the film’s best moments. Penn and Waits are equally dynamite in their roles as movie star as movie star Jack Holden and aging director Rex Blau.

A particular moment in the film involving a motorcycle stunt proves to be one of the most memorable scenes in the film and a lot of that can be attributed to Penn and Waits commitment to their roles. The film also includes plenty of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameos from performers that you would and would not expect in a PTA production.

“Licorice Pizza” is an all-out masterpiece. A film that is so confident with itself and under the hands of Anderson’s assured direction and the honest performances from Haim and Hoffman make this a film that audiences and fans of the filmmaker’s work won’t want to miss.