Licorice Pizza

We're here!

My final review of 2021; a year that was far closer to normal (in terms of moviegoing) than 2020 was, even if a lot still changed. 

If you've been partaking in going to the movies when it's safe or you're #vaxxed, please take a moment to vote in the 2021 Favorite Movie Poll HERE for the upcoming 2021 Rath Awards. Voting will close in about a week's time so be sure to come back if you still have films to see!

Licorice Pizza - the seemingly randomly titled film from Paul Thomas Anderson - is the last movie for me this year and one that I feel like I'm seeing somewhat out of obligation. That obligation stems from other critics calling it the "best of the year" which, after you hear it so many times, pretty much makes any movie pop on my radar. 

In regards to PTA's directing career, I am woefully behind, though I self-admittedly just don't think his movies are "for me". While I absolutely loved There Will Be Blood (as I believe most critics and non-critics do), I have stayed away from most of his other stuff due to both i) lack of time and ii) lack of interest. It's weird because I know he's one of the best directors alive right now, but generally his films and their somewhat aimless paths forward don't really speak to me. 

Licorice Pizza is unfortunately the same in that regard, though I liked it more than I anticipated based off some "meh" trailers and shoehorning it in on a Tuesday evening. 

There's a lot I could say about Licorice Pizza and why I certainly disagree about it being "one of the best of the year", but as usual near the end of the year I will attempt to keep my thoughts on the briefer side. The film, to its benefit, is light and airy and its youthful spirit gives it quite a bit of energy throughout. This is in large part to Anderson's direction and script, yes, but more so to first time performances by Alana Haim (of the band, Haim) and Cooper Hoffman (son of the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman). Despite this being their "big break", they simultaneously act as if they've been in the role before and as if they're just a couple of a kids with Anderson just happening to catch their antics through a camera. In a film that doesn't really know where its going half the time, the focal point of these two newcomers is refreshing and holds your attention. Luckily, the remainder of the cast is generally a blast too and some of the side characters provide the film's funniest and most memorable bits. Bradley Cooper - who was far and away the best, most intriguing part of the trailer - is hilarious and "2nd Place" would go to John Michael Higgins' wildly offensive and unexpected character that, had I been drinking liquid at the time, would have done a spit take into my mask. I ended up walking away from Licorice Pizza liking it more than I had anticipated because it can be very funny and the leads are incredible to watch. 

Coopers character felt as if an R-rated Rocket Racoon was a real person

"Wanna get a drink?"
"I'm 15." 
"Oh s**t, totally forgot about that."

But nearly everything else misses the mark for me in some way or another. Nothing is outright bad because, well...this is a Paul Thomas Anderson film after all. The high-quality filmmaking, cinematography, editing, etc. is all here. Aside from that though, there are two main flaws I had with Licorice Pizza. One is not unexpected from the trailers...it doesn't really do much during its time. Our leads fall in and out of love, have some wild schemes together, and meet a cast of zany characters, but in general this feels like a "long way to go for a short drink of water", as they say. Additionally, there is a 10 year age gap between the characters on screen (and close to that in real life). It's not as weird as it sounds in the film because Hoffman's Gary acts and behaves (generally) older than his years while Haim's Alana could pass for a 17 year old if needed. What makes it so weird is how much the film emphasizes their age difference, an illegal relationship, but then doesn't really feel like it does much with it. Sure, there's some plot beats here and there where Alana is drinking or with a much older man, but I feel like the same could have been accomplished with her character being a senior in high school and Gary a freshman or even her just turned 21. The script and story wouldn't have had to change much and the youthful exuberance, growth into love, and fun that these two have would have remained unchanged. So yeah...it's a very weird creative decision.

Licorice Pizza is one of those films that I'm not surprised critics love and, to be fair, there's a lot to love if you're a fan of Paul Thomas Anderson's work. I'm so inexperienced in his filmography that Licorice Pizza merely confirms some theories I've had, but I can't accurately say this was one of my favorite (or best) films of the year. There's just too much aloofness and I'm still not entirely sure why our romantics had to be so far apart in age when the same effect could have been captured using the classic freshman-crushing-on-senior story (or something close). 

CONS

• Feels aimless for a majority of the film - and each side "hustle" introduced could almost be its own unique film
• Character motives throughout seem to come from nowhere. Particularly Gary and Alana's willingness to start other relationships at the drop of a hat
• Why these two characters are 10 years apart is a mystery to me. Because of the performances, it's not as creepy as it sounds, but it's still weirdly not a huge deal in a film that likes to talk about it a lot

PROS

• Well-made, which should come as no surprise. The script is strong and witty, the cinematography and editing is fantastic, and the soundtrack is a blast
• Incredible performances from Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim. That these are their firsts is even more shocking. They bring a youthful innocence and fun to the film
• Film's spirit is a joy. There's a lot of fun times to be had
• Side cast of characters is often a hoot and the funniest bits of the movie. I got the biggest laughs from Cooper and Higgins

Rath's Review Score | 7/10