Rating: 8.4
Despite there being no licorice or pizza in this movie, its pretty good! I may be in the minority, but I think this is on of Paul Thomas Anderson’s best films. Its also a little more Richard Linklater in style, its more of a “hangout film” and feels like a PTA version of “Dazed and Confused”. There isn’t really a plot, we just get to follow the characters on their many adventures and absorb the feel of LA in the 70s. I love it when directors recreate their favourite eras in film and try to give us a sense of what it was like. So in a way this is PTA’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” too! PTA writes in such an interesting way and it works perfectly for the “hangout” format; he writes characters and what they’d do until some sort of ending emerges. It creates quite the fun story that goes all over the place, and while on the surface it may feel meandering and simple, its quite intricately written. Only someone as skilled as PTA could pull off a film that’s this meandering and weird that turns out as good as it is!
The film isn’t plot heavy at all, but instead it has this hazy, dream-like feel to it that carries you from scene to scene. On the surface it felt like I could just enjoy everything in the frame, like I was absorbed in the world of the film. The film is brilliant because it is very deep, but also can be enjoyed just on the surface as it is so relaxed in tone and feel. PTA gets so much out of his film stock by having deep contrast and uses beautiful back lighting around his characters; these features really help with the hypnotic feel. The score also helps with this too, it made it feel like I was in a timeless state floating through the scenes. It is just fun following these interesting, unique characters around!
This film is about the messiness of young love and wanting to find someone who takes you seriously and makes you feel mature. Its very insightful about relationships and and how we navigate life. PTA uses the uniqueness of the character’s struggles and conflicts to show this, though its not inherently clear until you think about the movie afterwards. I thought this meaning just made it more enjoyable and helps to answer for some of the more questionable elements of the screenplay.
And wow… the performances were like a cherry on top of the cake. Alana Him and Cooper Hoffman are both phenomenal young actors and handled many scenes better than a lot of seasoned actors these days. Cooper Hoffman especially blew me away; he really inherited his father’s (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) talent and looks. And don’t get me wrong, he’s not a carbon copy of his dad and does have his own style, I just think he is as exceptional of an actor as his father was. I also love that PTA cast him, its cool to see the Hoffman legacy continuing. I also thought Bradley Cooper was awesomely chaotic during his appearance, and had so much fun with the few scenes he was in!
Licorice Pizza is a film that won’t be for everyone. I however really enjoyed it, and while its not my favourite of the year I think its quite the interesting chapter in PTA’s filmography. I can’t wait to see it again and re-experience the hypnotic hangout adventure that this film offers.
•
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
RT Audience Score: 74%
Metacritic Score: 90
CinemaScore: N/A
•
MGM
Written & Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, Benny Safdie
Runtime: 2hr 13min
Rating: 14A
Comedy, Drama, Romance
•
The story of Alana Kane and Gary Valentine growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973.
•
Fun Fact: Cooper Hoffman is the son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, a frequent collaborator with Paul Thomas Anderson.
•
Comentarios