Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson
Stars: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Bradley Cooper
Synopsis: The story of Alana Kane and Gary Valentine growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973.
Paul Thomas Anderson has worn many hats over his storied career. Pegged as a future master early on, Anderson attracted both emerging, and past talent from the word go. His visually dynamic, larger-than-life features placed him in esteemed company. Anderson evolved into a director with a cult-like grasp on audiences and his onscreen talent by Boogie Nights. Yet the eccentric Anderson loves to play with form and self image, leading to his latest film. Licorice Pizza presents a fresh challenge for the auteur, allowing the director to work with a hyper-talented ensemble of young performers. With two instant stars as his leads and a striking comedic tone, Anderson seems to have perfected his missteps in Inherent Vice and Punch-Drunk Love to remarkable success.
Licorice Pizza follows two young adults in the San Fernando Valley during 1973. Alana Kane (Alana Heim) shuffles from job to job, unhappy with how her life has turned out at 25. She lives at home with her parents and sisters. Alana struggles with intimate and platonic relationships that define her professional and personal life. While working as an assistant for a photo shoot, she meets Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman). The teenage actor brims with confidence and a non-stop work ethic. Gary has never met an opportunity he could not transform into money. As they take this new world in their hands, Alana and Gary place themselves at the center of New Hollywood and the larger-than-life personas that inhabit the town.
A staple of Hollywood cinema, the teenage exploration for life’s purpose has fascinated decades of filmmakers. Rebel Without a Cause minted James Dean as a movie star. American Graffiti allowed George Lucas to explore galaxies. Craven’s Scream saved the slasher film and the teen comedy through bloody delights. Anderson’s foray into the world of young adulthood combines Linklater’s lackadaisical vignettes with Ashby’s hopeless dreamers.
Despite drawing from classic tropes, one cannot ignore the personal and dreamlike approach to Licorice Pizza. The world feels alive in its subtle touches, drawing from Anderson’s own adolescence. This authenticity and specificity help Licorice Pizza stand out from typical nostalgia fueled films, providing it with livewire energy to keep the audience on their toes.
That is not to say that Licorice Pizza redefines the genre. Many will liken the film to Ladybird, Dazed and Confused, and even Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood. Anderson’s film contains multitudes, at once both lighthearted and somewhat prickly. He opens the door for controversy, stirring the pot with questions about ethics in cinema. For some, the issues of ethnic-based humor and questionable sexual politics will be too much. It is essential to acknowledge these decisions, which seem to directly confront the darker side of the 1970s as a whole. Licorice Pizza does not ignore these choices but attempts to weave a tapestry about the futures of our characters through these issues.
Throughout Licorice Pizza, Gary pushes Alana for sex and intimacy. Alana recognizes their age gap’s inherent issues from their first meeting. For the vast majority of the film, she rebuffs him, instead seeking relationships with older and seemingly wiser men. Each of these men fails her simple tests along the way. Most are too self indulgent to look outside themselves. Other men fail her in more hurtful ways, using her as nothing more than a pawn in larger schemes. Even Gary, one of our protagonists, fails to live up to the man Alana believes he can become. However, he shows genuine remorse and care, which none of the other men provide to Alana. The two ride a rollercoaster of a relationship, drawn to each other through invisible forces. They are the definition of star-crossed lovers, even if the extent of their sexual flirtation comes down to a single kiss.
Many will read this kiss, and implied relationship to follow, as an endorsement of their actions. However, Licorice Pizza suggests that this relationship is not one of love, but one of convenience and lust. Life goes on for these characters after the end credits, and it seems unlikely they will consummate their relationship. Even if this were the case, Licorice Pizza leaves little doubt about Anderson’s opinion of the romance; it is toxic in ways that only a first love can be. We should not idolize this relationship, but instead, remember the messiness of our first genuine relationships.
Additionally, Anderson’s film never pulls punches about Gary’s troublesome present and future. When Gary is taken into custody, Anderson sets the stage for his criminality. While we believe he has been busted selling drugs to customers, when in actuality, he has been mistaken as a murder suspect. The fact that it becomes an issue of mistaken identity is beyond the point, as Gary seems destined for run-ins with the law. His ambition creates physical, emotional, and economic danger in his life. He works on information that would be considered insider trading to enrich himself. His businesses bounce between get-rich-quick schemes and fads which lack any semblance of stability. Even Gary’s PR firm, run by his mother, associates with openly racist, misogynistic, and inept businessmen. Gary’s lack of a moral compass is not due to his age but his blind ambition to conquer the world. Alana’s unwillingness to have a sexual relationship with Gary becomes an extension of his lust.
Perhaps no sequence offers more insight into Gary’s questionable ethics than his interaction with Jon Peters (Bradley Cooper). Gary has strayed from Alana for other women in the preceding hour, named a business after a sex joke, and found his semi-successful fad business evicted. Yet Gary remains successful, cashing in on hubris and luck. When the anthropomorphized hurricane that is Jon Peters enters the frame, his bluster and vanity are entirely unchecked. He demands respect and threatens violence. Gary not only fits the depiction of a young Peters, but he then proceeds to commit insane acts of vandalism and destruction in the same ilk as Peters. Gary will never have enough, and in the years after Licorice Pizza, he seems destined to destroy lives in the process.
Meanwhile, Alana wants to escape her world. She wishes to avoid the small, overstuffed house of her youth. She sees politics and relationships as ways to explore the world. Her belief in herself is similar to Gary’s in that they both see themselves in control of their lives. Yet Alana opens herself in a way Gary never does. Her optimism and faith in people create genuine pain. She connects with people on a human level and believes she can positively change the world.
During one of the standout set pieces of the film, Alana looks at herself in a mirror, realizing how wrong things have gone. The comedic and tense scene beckons back to the Alfred Molina drug den in Boogie Nights, both in tension and life-threatening stakes. This small moment of character introspection forces Alana to realize the mistakes she has made, even if she cannot wholly unpack what that means at this moment. Unlike his film set in the world of adult film, we see Alana attempt to change her life to no avail. Placing her trust in someone else burns her again, and Alana finds herself back in the situation that led to her original realization. Gary and his friends provide a safe harbor where Alana finds acceptance. But this moment of safety will fade. She will fight with Gary. Hopefully, she can succeed next time.
Beyond the many meanings and lessons one can take away from Licorice Pizza, moviegoers cannot ignore the craft on display. The performance from Haim delivers the film world a new star. While her career as a musician brought fame, her naturalism and ability to access her emotions will open an entirely new career for Ms. Haim. Her performance will be among the best of the decade. Hoffman shines in nearly every scene he’s in, combining his highly expressive face, non-verbals, and charming demeanor to great effect. While trying to hide his participation on a phone call, Hoffman provides the ultimate showcase in “show, don’t tell” performances.
The two astound at every turn, and Anderson brilliantly allows them to shine against a stunning ensemble. As usual, Anderson perfectly tunes each of these performances, allowing talents like Bradley Cooper, Tom Waits, and Harriet Sansom Harris to leave indelible marks on the audience with limited screen time. If one did not already believe Anderson is the next Altman, Licorice Pizza adds to the compelling case. Serving as the co-cinematographer with Michael Bauman, the film achieves stunning imagery and control. They create beautiful images highlighting the brilliant costume and production design that brings the valley to life.
Once again, Paul Thomas Anderson crafts a masterful examination of America while never removing himself from the critical character moments that allow his films to endure. What more can be said about the wunderkind turned auteur? Any year with a Paul Thomas Anderson release is a gift to the medium. Licorice Pizza earns its place as one of the best films of 2021 and will be one to revisit for years to come.
