Licorice Pizza Movie Review

Licorice Pizza (2021)

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Written by: Paul Thomas Anderson
Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, Benny Safdie
Rated: R
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Plot
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.

Verdict
This is trying to capture a feeling and moment of time of being a teenager, but Gary is so far removed from normal that I couldn't relate. While the music is great, this is a series of moments in the main characters' lives without an overarching plot. This is a twist on a romance movie, but the age gap is always uncomfortable.
It depends.

Review
I like Anderson's movie, but his recent movies I'm liking less and less. This movie is certainly indulgent, benefiting from the Anderson effect. If he didn't already have such an esteemed resume, this movie wouldn't have been made, at least not in it's released form. There's nothing wrong with this movie on a technical level, it's the plot that's lacking.

I wonder if this is going for a nostalgia infused movie like Dazed and Confused or Can't Hardly Wait, but this movie doesn't capture the same feeling. Everyone experiences high school and graduation, but this movie is a bit more unique with a character that's in high school yet an actor and running a series of businesses. While the movie makes it completely believable, most of us weren't living that or never dreamed of that so we don't have nostalgia for what happens in this movie. Maybe this movie is just set before my time.

Cooper Hoffman, Alana Haim play Gary, Alana

This is a love story. Gary (Cooper Hoffman) is immediately attracted to Alana (Alana Haim). The problem is that she's twenty five and he's fifteen. She makes it clear they can't date, but they are friends. Of course each gets jealous during the movie to let us know how they feel, but that was clear already.

Gary is intriguing. He's in high school, an actor, and starts a number of businesses. The relationship is borderline inappropriate before becoming fully inappropriate at the end. The movie's intent seems to be to blur that line in age. Gary seems more like an adult than many adults as portrayed in movies. Adults in this movie treated him like an equal. I wondered why Alana first showed up to dinner with Gary, and I think the characterization is why. Gary is interesting and charismatic. I get why Alana would be drawn to Gary, but that age gap never leaves. She's deliberately putting herself in that situation.

They keep running into each other, which makes it seem like they'll eventually get together. This movie is such a strange spin on the love story. With any other movie you're shipping Gary and Alana, but you can't here due to ages. That makes this movie uncomfortable, and that has to be intentional. Ultimately the movie seems to state that age doesn't matter. You could argue it doesn't in this movie, but as a blanket statement I can't agree. The movie never specifically draws a line. That's not a problem, but I don't think this movie exists to generate conversation on the issue.

Cooper Hoffman, Alana Haim play Gary, Alana

The other aspect of this movie is that it's a nostalgia trip, or wants to be. Usually nostalgia trips showcase the past we had or wanted to have. With this movie, I was very curious about the technical side of Gary's businesses. It seems that only Gary and his friends run these businesses, but there are certain hurdles he wouldn't be able to overcome. Does Gary have a parent signing off on permits and licenses? I can't imagine revenue is tracked closely with the employees or lack of. I don't see how this movie can strike a nostalgic chord. How many people can reminisce about their businesses while in high school?

This movie is indulgent. The first Anderson movie I saw was Magnolia. I haven't liked any of his movies more than that. There Will Be Blood is my second favorite. This is a movie Anderson made because he can. I want to like it, and I certainly like it more upon reflection. Gary is such an intriguing character, as is Jon Peters later. This movie doesn't really have a plot. Is it a movie about forbidden romance, a nostalgia trip, or just a character study? This movie would probably get more flak if Gary and Alana's genders were reversed.