Licorice Pizza – A Magical Coming-of-Age Tale

If one conducted a survey asking cinephiles who the greatest filmmaker currently working is, Paul Thomas Anderson would likely rack up the most amount of votes. PTA has been active since the 90s and while not every one of his films is a home run, he has yet to make a film that isn’t complex, challenging and meticulously crafted. Anderson has brought his own unique perspective to a variety of different topics and genres, from an odyssey about the dangers of the porn industry, to a psychedelic romantic comedy, to an epic about the oil industry. If nothing else, PTA is versatile. In recent years, PTA’s work has become increasingly more dark and philosophical in nature, with much of its meaning buried beneath the surface. Licorice Pizza is much lighter fare in comparison. Hardening back to his earlier work, the film is a coming-of-age comedy set in PTA’s hometown, San Fernando, in the 1970s. His latest is warm, endearing and nostalgic – a total departure from his recent material.

Licorice Pizza stars the son of PTA’s frequent collaborator and close friend Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Cooper, in his very first acting role. Hoffman portrays Gary Valentine, a charismatic 15-year-old actor who instantly develops a crush on a 25-year-old woman named Alana (played brilliantly by Haim front-woman Alana Haim) after crossing paths at a photo studio. Alana is naive and innocent for her age, and still figuring out the kind of person she wants to be. The film follows the pair as they form a strong bond and embark on a series of misadventures through the San Fernando Valley, crossing paths with some eccentric characters along the way.

Licorice Pizza is a slice of life film in its purest form. It is virtually plotless, yet extremely entertaining throughout, joining the ranks of Dazed and Confused and American Graffiti as one of the all time great hangout movies. Contrary to PTA’s previous work, this film aims to make audiences feel, rather than think. Those who have found the bulk of PTA’s work in the past to be too cold and calculated will surely find this one to be a nice change of pace. His intentions are not to make necessarily to make a statement, but to give audiences the opportunity to spend two hours in a time period they either never got to experience or have had fading memories of. It’s a wistful and nostalgic film that beautifully captures the innocence of first love, and celebrates youth.

There has been a fair amount of discourse regarding the ten year age gap between the film’s two central characters. While the film is about young love, the relationship on display exists somewhere between a platonic relationship and that of puppy love. It is more interested in how their relationship impacts each individual, and how help each other navigate the difficult stages in their lives that they are at. Due to the age gap, the film could easily have been very uncomfortable to sit through and borderline problematic, but the writing and the performances are so skilful that it carefully avoids crossing any lines. Alana and Gary’s relationship is endearing rather than icky and makes complete sense in context of the film.

Hoffman and Haim deliver outstanding performances and there is a certain level of authenticity that they bring to the table as Gary and Alana, that a movie star could not have. Hoffman’s performance is confident and wholesome, showing the potential to become a top notch actor like his father. Haim may already established within the music world, but she may be an even more talented actress than a musician. Her performance is emotionally layered and elevates the material to another level.

Licorice Pizza is not exactly PTA’s most impressive achievement from a directing perspective. It is beautifully shot, immersive and is an extremely detailed portrait of a certain time and place, but it is not nearly as ambitious or complex as some of his most celebrated work. That being said, it may just be his greatest achievement as a screenwriter. Outside of Punch Drunk Love, PTA has had trouble showing vulnerability in his work. This film is by far his most sincere film to date, as he lowers his guard and gives audiences a piece of his heart. It may not be autobiographical in any way, but it certainly feels like PTA was drawing from his own experiences and fantasies while writing the script.

In the end, Licorice Pizza is hands down one of the best films the year has to offer. Funny, heartwarming and full of life, it is a truly magical experience that will make audiences remember why they fell in love with cinema in the first place.

still courtesy of MGM

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Tristan French