Licorice Pizza

2021 • 133 minutes

About this movie

Licorice Pizza" is the story of Alana Kane (Alana Haim) and Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) growing up, running around and falling in love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973. Written and Directed by heralded filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, this potent coming-of-age drama tracks the treacherous navigation of first love. Sean Penn, Bradley Cooper, Tom Waits, Benny Safdi, Christine Ebersole and Harriet Sansom Harris also star.

Ratings and reviews

This was an entertaining, casual love story set in the early 70's. I liked it. It's also, kind of, like an "inside Hollywood" piece. Though the main characters ages were far apart they were close in maturity and development. I was surprised by this clever balance of personalities. Those desiring to brand this relationship indecent are posing as pretentious dictators of societal and human relationships. Its real life, real love. Watch it for yourself.

I see what they were going for, but as a movie I don't think the execution worked. The two main leads worked great together, and their interaction in shared scenes was really entertaining and funny... but the problem was in the lack of development outside the two leads. The movie brings in big-name actors, new interesting characters, and really does nothing with them. Bradly Cooper, for example, shows up briefly, and give an awesome performance, and then there's NO follow-up... nothing. It's like there was zero reason for the scene really. Same with Sean Penn... shows up randomly, does something crazy, then goes away. Nothing happens. In the end, you end up wishing you had more of the supporting roles explored because they exist for such a short time, you just get nothing out of it. The result is that the story lacks a consistent or engaging atmosphere because people just come and go at random, offering nothing of real substance, and then the leads just brush them off as though it never happened.

Trying to decide whether or not this or The Suicide Squad is the best film of 2021, but Licorice Pizza is probably a masterpiece. It is a beautiful soundtrack to my heart, and the acting matches it's beauty as well, especially Bradley Cooper's small role. It is like Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and if you loved that movie you will love this one.