Licorice Pizza is a period coming-of-age dramedy set in 1973 about 15-year old Gary(Cooper Hoffman) a child actor and aspiring hustler and 25(or 28?)-year-old Alana(Alana Haim) who is searching for some purpose and direction in her life. The movie opens with the two of them meeting at Gary's high school, Gary harasses her for a date, she acquiesces but insists they be only friends. The two develop a partnership, part friends part business associates, which inevitably evolves into a romance.
Haim and Hoffman put in commendable effort but as unknowns/first time actors they are stiff, stilted, and awkward on screen. This is exacerbated by their characters, which as written, are both immature, inarticulate, selfish, and generally unlikable and uncompelling. The supporting cast is filled with tangential showbiz connections(Leo Dicap's dad, Spielberg's kid etc.) who are, like the leads, awkward and unconvincing. Bradley Cooper shows up with a ton of energy and steals his protracted scene, although he plays an absolute dirt bag psycho and it's even a relief to see undisputed real life dirt bag Sean Penn because at least he can actually act. Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson is not known for using non-professional actors, he is not the Safdie brothers, Andrea Arnold, Sean Baker, or Werner Herzog, it's not something he's ever done and he is unsuccessful in his first attempt.
Although there are some potent needle drops and effective costuming the camera work of the movie is pretty soft and bland, Anderson's typical aesthetic edge is not present making the overly long run time relatively boring visually. The script is regressive, sexist, lacks focus, and just generally leaves a "what is the point" taste in the mouth- Gary sexually harasses Alana until she acquiesces, their ten year(plus?) age difference is never addressed or investigated, virtually every male-female interaction we see on screen is sexual harassment - and the intent, seemingly, is suppose to be funny and/or charming. Gary is an entitled asshole boy who doesn't learn anything, Alana is a confused angry woman who doesn't learn anything- roll credits. It's baffling.
After Roma a lot of white male directors were emboldened to make their own semi-autobiographical childhood/coming-of-age movies without first asking themselves what their experience had to offer culturally, artistically, or even from a baseline of entertainment because based on the results the answer is not much.
Inadvertent "good old days" patriarchal propaganda.
Currently in theaters coming soon to VOD.
Don't See It.
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