Year of Release: 2021
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, Benny Safdie
Running Time: 133 minutes
Genre: comedy drama
San Fernando Valley, 1973: 15 year old high school student Gary Valentine (Hoffman) balances a successful career as a child actor with a number of entrepreneurial schemes. One day he meets 25 year old photographer's assistant Alana Kane (Haim) and becomes instantly smitten with her. Alana, however, is intrigued by Gary's chutzpah but considers him far too young for him. Despite this the two forge a tentative friendship.
Paul Thomas Anderson is arguably one of the most important American filmmakers working today, as well as one of the most infuriating, but with Licorice Pizza, a tender, romantic comedy drama set in early '70s Los Angeles based on part on Anderson's own youthful experiences as well as those of his friend, producer and actor Gary Goetzman. Cooper Hoffman, who is the some of the late, great actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, who appeared in several Anderson films, makes his film debut as Gary, and delivers a great performance making Gary romantic, infuriating, admirable and funny, often all at the same time. Alana Haim, of the rock band Haim, pretty much steals the movie as Alana Kane, and, as with Hoffman, this was her debut film. The way their relationship plays out is fascinating and moving. Despite being a teenager, Gary appears more self-confident and assured, he is a fairly successful actor and he is always coming up with money-making schemes. He walks into his favourite restaurant, and basically owns the place. Despite being ten years older, Alana works a miserable job, where her boss slaps her butt as she walks by him, and doesn't really know what she wants from life. She is also more idealistic than the cynical Gary. The film features Sean Penn, as a self-obsessed ageing actor based on William Holden, Tom Waits, sounding more than ever like an elderly Dalek, as a drunk director, Bradley Cooper delivers a hilarious performance as real-life producer Jon Peters, and Benny Safdie, one half of the filmmaking Safdie Brothers (directors of Good Time (2017) and Uncut Gems (2919)) plays real-life politician Joel Wachs. Alana Haim's two sisters and Haim bandmates Danielle and Este turn up as Alana Kane's sisters, along with their parents, Moti and Donna. Incidentally Anderson directed several of Haim's music videos, and Donna Haim was Anderson's art teacher at school. This is not really a plot based film. At times it feels more like a tour through a photo album of the sights and sounds of the period. The fact is that this never gets wearying. It may at times feel too loose, there are lots of interesting elements that don't really go anywhere, but such is life. At the end of the film I was left so invested in the characters and their lives that I wanted more, and there can be no higher praise for a film than that. It has a great seventies soundtrack too.
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