Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest follows the lives of 25-year-old Alana Kane (Alana Haim) and 15-year-old Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman). After meeting during Gary’s high school picture day, where Alana was working for the photographer, the two form a strong bond. Anderson follows their vulnerable relationship as they navigate life, love and adulthood in the beautiful, fun and cruel ’70s San Fernando Valley.
Licorice Pizza is a knockout. It’s the perfect mix of Comedy, Romance and Self-Discovery. The Film takes an authentic look at the young facing adulthood. Gary may be a teenager, but he’s resourceful. He’s an Actor and hustles in different entrepreneurial pursuits. This has caused him to mature at a young age. The charismatic Hoffman (son of the late Philip Seymour) captivates as the often overconfident yet lovestruck Gary. He balances maturity with the innocence and sometimes arrogance that comes along with youth and first love.
Then there’s Alana who seems to be aching. She doesn’t want to grow up, yet she’s a dreamer who wants a way out of her life. In her mid-20s she feels lost and stuck: still living at home with her parents and without any path to get out. The striking Haim is a revelation and gives a breakout performance. She’s comedic, dramatic, and instinctive. Haim navigates the complexities of her character with intellect and empathy. She evokes Alana’s decisive personality in conjunction with her feelings of confusion for her future.
Due to their age difference, Alana insists the relationship stay platonic. But that doesn’t deter the persistent Gary who continues flirting away. No matter how much Alana flirts back, she declines. What results is a deeply-emotional platonic relationship. In a world where people can hook-up before knowing one another, their relationship feels sacred. The pair of newcomers are forces to be reckoned with in their respective roles, but are even stronger when paired in scenes together.
Set against the backdrop of their relationship is a commentary on ’70s Hollywood. Instead of going to the glamour, Anderson brings Hollywood to our Co-leads with a dazzling Supporting Cast. Sean Penn gives immense energy to fictional Actor Jack Holden who wants to relive his glory days. Real-life Talent Agent Mary Grady is played to peak comedic effect by Harriet Sansom Harris. And Bradley Cooper gives a jaw-dropping portrayal of real-life Hairdresser-turned-Media Mogul Jon Peters. Cooper is fully committed to tapping into Peters’ eccentric persona.
These supporters are in scenes that play like singular episodes depicting snapshots of Hollywood in the ’70s. However, Anderson weaves these episodes into the central narrative, using them to bring our co-leads closer together. Although this is a Comedy, Anderson doesn’t shy away from showing the cruelty of the time. He shows us overt sexism, racism and more: Alana gets slapped on her behind by her boss in the middle of the school gym, and a white man speaks English with a mocking accent to his Japanese wives in front of others.
With a title like Licorice Pizza, which is slang for a vinyl record, it comes as no surprise that the Film has a Soundtrack that hits home. One filled with Music from Nina Simone, The Doors, Sonny & Cher David Bowie and more.
Although there are no actual pizza slices to be found in the Film, Anderson serves up a rapturous slice of Cinema.
Universal Pictures Canada release LICORICE PIZZA in theatres December 24, 2021.
*Please exercise caution observing COVID-19 protocols if seeing this in theatre.*
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