Item: Licorice Pizza
Rating: 8
Author: JimmyO

PLOT: This is the story of the blossoming romance between Gary Valentine and Alana Kane in the San Fernando Valley, during the 1970s’.

REVIEW: Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest, Licorice Pizza, reminds me of a song. You listen once and perhaps don’t find the connection or charm. Then it hits. Boom! It’s locked in your memory. Somehow, you feel moved by the music or the lyrics. That’s what this movie experience brought. The story of a child actor who develops a crush on an older girl is charming, awkward, and refreshingly honest. It works on a few levels, with the main one being the brilliant casting of both Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman. There’s also the incredible soundtrack, the beauty of seeing it in 70 mm, and Anderson’s script reminiscent of teenage classics like Dazed and Confused, Empire Records, and The Last American Virgin. With an all-star cast of supporting players, this exploration of the San Fernando Valley that begins in 1973 is a cinematic trip down memory lane. Yes, it’s like a song you want to hear a few more times before fully embracing its vibe.

Gary Valentine (Hoffman) was a child actor. And now he struggles to balance ambition and the problems of growing up in Hollywood as an early “has been.” While at school, he meets Alana Kane (Haim), a young woman who works for the company handling the school’s class photos. After a pathetic attempt to woo her, Valentine convinces the older woman to meet for a drink. Soon, the two find themselves as friends, and ultimately business partners. As Gary and Alana’s relationship changes, the two begin exploring other options that lead each on a unique path. For Alana, she detours into a possible political future. Gary, however, is looking for whatever hot commodity he can exploit to its fullest, whether it’s pinball games or waterbeds. The question remains, are they meant for each other, or is this only a childhood flame ready to extinguish?

Watching Licorice Pizza was a truly unique experience for me. As much as I appreciate the talent of Paul Thomas Anderson, not all of his work has fully resonated. Perhaps that’s why I walked into this film without seeing the trailer or knowing much about it. There’s something special about walking in blind to a PTA film – or any movie for that matter. Yet even still, its dream-like love letter to the San Fernando Valley and the strong seventies vibe occasionally took a strange detour. In the middle of this coming-of-age story is a series of vignettes, where the film’s leads put themselves in bizarre situations. Each of the separate adventures features such familiar faces as Bradley Cooper, Maya Rudolph, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, John C. Reilly, and other notable talents. Many of these engagements offered humor, while a couple teetered on being a bit tedious and unnecessary. Even still, as I recall the experience, I’m looking forward to revisiting the film a second time and discovering how those sequences play out with prior knowledge.

Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman are the shining stars here. The two effortlessly create fully realized characters. There’s nothing superficial about the two performances. It’s refreshing to see such detail in these two individuals without sacrificing honesty. Much of that is the script and the dialogue. Even still, the performances are so natural it’s a joy to watch anytime the two are together on-screen. It helps that each portrait is realistically flawed, selfish, and perhaps more than a little hurtful to each other. The age difference between the two certainly adds to that, but it’s the fearlessness of creating two very human characters. Both are occasionally awful – especially some of the petty jealousy shown by Valentine – yet it feels all the more believable because of it. The two are more than just actors saying lines, with both Valentine and Kane feeling more like old friends that occasionally drive you crazy. Beautiful work from the two.

With Quentin Tarantino’s recent Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the famed director explored the underbelly of a town loaded with glitz, glamour, and violence. Paul Thomas Anderson’s fascination with the Seventies had more in common with the classic Eighties romantic comedy Valley Girl or something of that nature. Even with Valentine being in show business, the focus remains on the love story aspect. The gorgeous cinematography courtesy of both Anderson and Michael Bauman brilliantly recreates this period in time with vibrancy and detail. It’s a visually stunning film. And seeing it at the Regency Village in Westwood in 70 mm was an absolute vision to behold. While the images on display aren’t creating some brave new world, the realization of bringing this moment in history back amid a sweet-natured romantic fable is something special in modern cinema.

Licorice Pizza is perhaps the most accessible film in Paul Thomas Anderson’s impressive filmography. The portrait of young love isn’t overblown with sentimental tripe. It’s not a dizzying and unrelatable romantic fantasy. What is it? It is more of an exploration of two charismatic but flawed young people who aren’t sure what the future holds. The performances by both Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim aren’t just good. No, the two completely inhabit the roles making you wonder if that’s just who they are. However, I tend to believe it’s the sheer talent the two have, as you can’t fake the undeniable chemistry they share. With all this praise, I’m giving PTA’s latest an 8 out of 10. As mentioned, a couple of the side stories didn’t have as much of an impact. Yet my mind is still lingering on the whole package. That includes the good, the bad, the tedious, and everything in between. Much like that tune that grows on you with every listen, it’s likely this slice of Licorice Pizza will taste even better when you warm it up a few times over.