Paul Thomas Anderson Makes Magic With Licorice Pizza
A few days ago, a friend asked why I watch so many movies. I gave a half-witted response, saying something about how there’s nothing better than seeing a good movie. But the question stuck with me: why do I devote so much of my life to watching and obsessing over movies? Then I saw Licorice Pizza.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s ninth feature film, Licorice Pizza, takes place in the San Fernando Valley – his third film set there – and tells a beautiful story of friendship and growing up. The filmmaking is incredible, the soundtrack provides fun, nostalgic undertones, the characters work perfectly, and it all blends together for a pure, warm, beautiful cinematic experience.
The film wastes no time. There is virtually no exposition (at least none that is obvious), and within five minutes, Anderson transports the viewer into the world of Licorice Pizza. The audience is quickly introduced to Gary Valentine (played by Cooper Hoffman) who is a young actor, filled with boyish optimism, and Alana Kane (Alana Haim) who’s 25 years old (ten years older than Gary) and feels like she’s done nothing with her life. The two meet at what turns out to be an important crossroads in their lives: Gary’s high school’s picture day, where Alana is working as the photographer’s assistant.
Licorice Pizza is both Haim and Hoffman’s film debut, but it is not evident. Hoffman is incredibly charming and something about his performance is so intoxicating; Gary Valentine is always on and it’s captivating to watch him the way he talks to and deals with adults. I’ve seen the film a few times now and Haim’s natural talent becomes more apparent on every viewing. She somehow already possesses many of the nuanced mannerisms and subtle facial expressions of a veteran actor, which can be seen in the idiosyncrasies of her character. Haim manages to find the perfect balance of playing a serious, sometimes dry role without it weighing down other aspects of the movie.
The film doesn’t have a clear, concrete plot (because that isn’t the point), but instead lets the audience watch Gary and Alana run around the Valley, going on various, almost episodic, adventures. In this way, many have compared it to Quentin Tarantino’s 2019 film, Once Upon a time… in Hollywood. Unlike Tarantino’s film, however, Licorice Pizza feels much more innocent. Many of the characters in Licorice Pizza are children (or at least relatively young) and the film does an excellent job portraying the blissful optimism and opportunity that characterizes childhood.
Two of these adventures were particularly compelling. During Alana’s short quest to become an actress, she auditions for a role opposite of movie star Jack Holden, played by Sean Penn. Holden has a brief yet flirtatious relationship with Alana. Penn’s incredible talent and physical presence allows the absurd seriousness of his character to shine through. Then, after Alana and Gary’s waterbed company takes off, they hand-deliver a waterbed to Jon Peters’ house. Peters, played masterfully by Bradley Cooper, is only in the film for about 7 minutes but is at a 12/10 the entire time. He’s absolutely hilarious and injects so much energy into the movie. I can’t say anymore without spoiling parts of the movie, but I dearly hope he gets an Oscar nomination for this role, even though it's so brief.
In fact, both Cooper and Penn have sort of “extended cameos” rather than actual supporting roles. However, this works in the film’s favor, as they serve as quick shots of energy that revitalize the audience, then disappear to allow Hoffman and Haim to take back the spotlight, and push the story forward. There are also several other brief supporting characters that elevate the film; Benny Safdie, Maya Rudolph, Tom Waits, Skyler Gisondo, Harriet Sansom Harris, John Michael Higgins, and many more all played their roles – no matter how small – to perfection. The cast is like a great basketball team working together, passing the ball, always moving unselfishly to contribute to something bigger than themselves.
The cinematography is for the most part not too notable to let the audience focus on the story, but occasionally PTA throws in some brilliant and breathtaking shots to display the beauty of the film’s world. The movie was shot on film, which gives Licorice Pizza a sort of dreamlike atmosphere.
Licorice Pizza is an important mark in Paul Thomas Anderson’s career. It seems as if he no longer feels the need for his movies to prove a point or send an important message. Unlike some of his other masterpieces, like The Master, There Will Be Blood, or Boogie Nights, which center mostly around toxic men and take several viewings to comprehend, Licorice Pizza allows the audience to like its main characters and watch a great movie without thinking too hard.
Licorice Pizza has all the elements of a great movie. It gives us two charming, lovable main characters, supporting roles that are so funny they almost steal the show, and a story that makes anyone reminisce on the joy and adventure that filled their childhood – not to mention it was written and shot by one of the greatest living filmmakers.
By Daniel Rosen