First Review: Licorice Pizza

Starring: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, Benny Safdie

Director/Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson

Plot: 7/10

The movie follows Gary, a child actor and entrepreneur, as he pursues one crazy business scheme after another. The hinted romance between Gary and Alana, his older love interest, is the foundation of the plot and shows an interesting dynamic with Alana being the adult but associating with children, while Gary acts like an adult. Sadly, halfway through the movie, irrelevant and off-topic scenes started to take place. There was a sweet storyline where Alana is trying to get her life together by working for a closeted politician running for Mayor of Los Angeles, but it was very out of rhythm with the plot and made the movie too long.

Acting: 9/10

Breakout actor Alana Haim is bound to be an upcoming star in Hollywood. Her character, also named Alana, likes to follow fifteen-year-old Gary and likes to assist Gary with his new businesses. Haim plays this role seamlessly, has great comedic timing, and depicts the life of a young woman who has no idea what to do with her life. Cooper Hoffman, son of Philip Seymour Hoffman, also made his debut and did not disappoint. Hoffman depicts a confident young child actor with a posse of friends that follow his new projects. He lives an independent life where he takes care of his younger brother, played by Milo Herschlag, and hangs around restaurants in the Valley. Hoffman easily depicts a character that exudes cockiness, but is ultimately innocent, as any teenager would be.

Costumes: 9.5/10

I personally loved the costumes in Licorice Pizza! They embodied the 70s time period and reflected the characters’ personalities. Gary was always wearing the most outrageously colorful suits, the worst being his pink and white suit that he wore during the opening of his Pinball Store. Alana is seen wearing eclectic outfits maybe reflecting her unsureness and never finding stability in her life.

Cinematography: 7/10

The cinematography was nothing out of the ordinary but never felt out of sync with any of the scenes. The movie was shot on 35mm film and converted to 70mm film so the picture would be larger when displayed in theatres. My favorite scene in Licorice Pizza was a scene where Gary and Alana are laying on a waterbed and the camera pans in on Gary’s hand inches towards Alana.

Aesthetic: 10/10

The aesthetic was like being transported back in time and I loved the amount of shots actually filmed in the San Fernando Valley. My mom grew up in Silverlake, a neighborhood in LA during the same time period and said that the aesthetic was accurate and captivating. I loved feeling as if I understood my mom’s childhood more.

Music: 8.5/10

I also really enjoyed the music. The intense drumming that occurred during scenes that would only be intense from the lens of a teenager was really funny. There wasn’t much background score in the movie, but the old music that played was upbeat and I was glad they didn’t just use the most popular songs in the ’70s. The main reason I was eager to even see this movie was due to the song “Life on Mars” by David Bowie that was played in the trailer. Excellent choice.

Overall: 8.5/10 (Paige Approved)

I will make this a quick overview. The story was a great homage to the Valley and the 70s and the characters are easily lovable. I’m sad that I have to warn you viewers of this but there is a bit of racism and sexual predatory acts that happen in Licorice Pizza. There are a couple scenes where they mock Asian accents and I don’t feel that the excuse of it “being accurate to the time period” holds up enough. Alana is also 25, while Gary is 15. This age difference was immediately alarming and I think it is best for Hollywood to not glamorize a relationship like this.

Best Quotes:

“I’m not gonna forget you. Just like you’re not going to forget me.” -Gary Valentine

“Do you think it’s weird that I hang out with Gary and his friends all the time? I think it’s weird that I hang out with Gary and his fifteen-year-old friends all the time.” -Alana Kane

The Bradley Cooper Catfish:

Last note, viewers. If you go into the theaters with the impression that the screen will be filled with many scenes of Bradley Cooper. You’re wrong. And I’m sorry that the trailer deceived you like that. He’s in it for a whoppin’ 20 minutes and that’s it. The scene he is in is funny, but don’t be going to see Licorice Pizza for Bradley Cooper because you won’t be walking out satisfied.