Licorice Pizza

Starring: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Benny Safdie, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Este Haim, John Michael Higgins, Emma Dumont, Skyler Gisondo, Bradley Cooper, Maya Rudolph, John C. Reilly (cameo)
Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
2021

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A woman (Alana Haim) befriends an entrepreneurial 15 year-old (Cooper Hoffman) who is in love with her, in the early 1970s.

Review:

Tim: I have to admit, I don't love Paul Thomas Anderson. I know critics do and his movies are routinely praised to the highest levels. The only movie of his I loved was There Will Be Blood. The rest have felt overrated, a series of decent or good movies that critics claim are better than they are. I don't exactly get it. I feel like Licorice Pizza falls into that same mold. This is a good movie, certainly. But, somehow, it was nominated for 3 Academy Awards- Best Picture (are you kidding me), Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. I can see the Screenplay one, kind of. The dialogue is excellent. However, to claim this is anywhere near the best pictures of the year feels unfair. There were far better movies in 2021 than Licorice Pizza.

Now, this isn't a review where I just want to knock this film down. I kind of loved aspects of this film. Anderson has such a unique storytelling vision here. We go deep into the San Fernando Valley in the early 1970s. Anderson does a fantastic job of immersing us into this world. The overall plot here is so unexpected. It starts off with a flirty relationship between a 20-something year old woman and 15 year-old boy. That's... a bit odd. Definitely unexpected. Along the way of their misadventures, they start a waterbed business, break into Hollywood, dabble in politics, start a pinball arcade business, and much more. It's a completely wacky, original story. I loved the uniqueness of Anderson's vision.

However, this is also one of my chief complaints. I loved the characters, but the narrative feels nonexistent, an afterthought. There's no reason for Anderson's film to clock in at 2 hours, 13 minutes. The story is weak, flimsy. It doesn't do nearly enough to hold our attention. It throws a series of events at us, but they feel so loosely connected. I really think this is where the film unravels a bit. We get impressions, we get character development, but the plot is a bit of a mess. I loved the dialogue- these characters' back-and-forth exchanges were incredible. The story isn't good enough, though. This is the kind of film a year from now, I'll wonder, "What was that about?" I know it's a "love" story between those two, but what actually happened in the movie? This is a major flaw and it's why I'm glad this film didn't win Original Screenplay. The writing is often excellent, except for missing on the plot.

The cast is so interesting. I have to admit, Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman are not what I'd expect in these roles. They feel authentic, real. They don't have the polished glitz and glamor of so many young actors. This was obviously an intentional act and the movie is better for it. Haim was fantastic in the lead role. She brings so much confidence and energy to the role, everything she does is wonderful. I couldn't believe the highs and lows of her performance. It's something truly special. Hoffman is the same- there were several scenes where he seemed to transcend his character, to bring something so inherently special and unique from himself to the role. His confidence, his forcefulness emerged in quiet ways (how unlikely is that?). Haim and Hoffman are a dynamic pairing and I just loved watching their interactions. Their banter is a constant highlight in this film. Anderson really outdid himself with these two and the performances he gets from them. Just incredible.

The supporting cast is really impressive, too. Benny Safdie is a real talent and I always like when he pops up in films. Sean Penn made such an unexpected entrance and is quite memorable in his small role. John Michael Higgins made me cackle with one of the weirder performances I have ever seen. His way of speaking to his wives made me cringe and gasp. Such a bizarre, funny detail in this film. I really enjoyed Skyler Gisondo's small role. He brings such a weird, infectious energy to his performances. Bradley Cooper absolutely stole his scenes in such a funny, manic role. You just feel like you're undoubtedly watching a true movie star as soon as he shows up. I don't have much desire to watch this movie again, but I'd absolutely revisit Cooper's scenes. I could go on, because there's so many strong cast members that elevate this film. I know I had a few problems with this film, but the cast is excellent and make the movie so enjoyable.

Licorice Pizza is undoubtedly one of the more unique movies I've seen, while still staying true to Paul Thomas Anderson's voice and vision. I loved the characters he created and the ability to immerse the audience in the 1970s. However, the narrative felt too weak to me. That hurts the movie when it runs well over 2 hours long. It's a lot to get through. Now, I always liked this movie. There was never a moment of doubt there. My big challenge was between a 7 or 7.5, I really toggled back-and-forth between those two ratings. I almost went higher and could make that argument, but I think it's the narrative that pulls the movie down a notch. So, while I officially categorize this as a "good" movie, a more accurate score is probably 7.25. I'd just lose my mind if I was trying to score 4,000+ films by quarter scores. I do think it's telling that despite getting nominated for 3 Academy Awards, this film won nothing. I can't believe it was ever a real contender. The movie is simply not close to being great.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: There Will Be Blood, Inherent Vice, Boogie Nights, The Master