Licorice Pizza Licorice Pizza

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If you were alive in 1973 and have any vague recall whatsoever of that particular year, then you should immediately promote Licorice Pizza to the very top of your must-see list this summer.

Honestly, as a targeted work of very specific cinematic time travel, this invitingly laid-back hangout movie is nothing short of mesmerising.

As directed by the great Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood), Licorice Pizza very matter-of-factly picks you up and drops you off in 1973, and leaves you there for a few hours. While you get your bearings in a world where the jeans are flared, the collars are wide, the hair is long and the vibe is oh-so-relaxed, your spirit guides will be a couple who remain unsure of what kind of couple they should or could be.

Gary (Cooper Hoffman) is 15 years of age and already past his use-by date as a TV child star. Now on the hustle for a new career as (I kid you not) a waterbed sales tycoon, Gary befriends Alana (Alana Haim), a photographer's assistant some 10 years his senior. Gary is romantically inclined towards Alana, while she is platonically drawn towards someone she senses is a true kindred spirit.

Together, this unorthodox pair (and an ever-growing entourage) drift through a hazily idyllic summer in California's San Fernando Valley without a care in the world. The aimless, floating feel of the movie is indeed its calling card. Once a viewer is immersed in this vividly rich environment, they may not want to leave. Though complete unknowns, Hoffman (son of the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and Haim are perfect for their roles, and more than hold their own with accomplished co-stars such as Bradley Cooper and Sean Penn.

Official Trailer: Licorice Pizza

Review

LICORICE PIZZA (M)

Rating: ****

2021, Romance/Comedy, 2h 13m
92% TOMATOMETER
76% AUDIENCE SCORE

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