Licorice Pizza - A Movie Review

Okay, so we’re out of gas and we’re at the top of a hill. How bad is the situation?

Licorice Pizza was released to theaters in 2021. Taking place in San Fransisco in 1973, Alana Kane, a 25-year-old woman meets Gary Valentine, a 15-year-old actor. Wanting to remain as friends, they wonder if they could be more as they create their own water bed business.

Licorice Pizza was not the film I was expecting. Its story is incomprehensible, littered with random scenes, and portrays an unsuitable romance. The message is believed to entail that you should be yourself and not transform into an age that’s unworthy.

For their debuts, Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman were impressive. I was surprised to learn that this film was their first time acting. They were naturals. They worked well together, and I liked their interactions.

In some ways, I can relate to Alana. Our twenties are a challenging age. We’re trying to understand our pathways in career choices, who we are, and love. Slowly, she came to her senses and started acting like an adult. The ending ruined her character.

We are allowed to be friends with whomever we want. Just as long as it makes sense. I liked Alana and Gary’s friendship at times, but it wasn’t healthy. This romance is problematic considering the age gap. They don’t have anything in common and want different things.

How and why did Bradley Cooper get nominated for a Golden Globe for this film? No offense to Cooper because he is honestly the best part of the film. His character has nothing to do with the story! He is only in the film for like ten minutes! In fact, none of the cast knew that Cooper would be in the film until the day of filming.

That goes for most of the characters. There is one scene where Sean Penn randomly takes part in a motorcycle challenge. Other credits include Tom Waits, James Kelley, Benny Safdie, Skyler Gisondo, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, and Harriet Sansom Harris. There are some short cameos.

Haim’s real-life family appears in the film. We needed more of this angle. It’s evident that Alana feels like a shadow and is unsure of how to fit in. If the film did a better job with its concept, Alana’s family should have been the central focus.

Most of the scenes are filler. Literally, the best scene in the entire film is when Alana backs a truck all the way down a hill. It was Haim driving! No stunt doubles or camera tricks were used. This scene was the most entertaining and I would only watch this film for this scene alone.

I know what Paul Thomas Anderson was aiming for in the message, but he didn’t execute the film in the right way. The story behind the film is based on a scene he witnessed two decades before writing this film. He could have written a more cohesive story instead of a muddled plotline

I liked the format in which Anderson shot the film. It felt like a film from the 70s. Anderson should have gone for more realism. Humor is subtle. Licorice Pizza was confusing to follow, lacked a plot, and the ending was not the right resolution. This romance is not something to be enforced to audiences. It gives them the wrong impression about romance.

Licorice Pizza has been nominated for Best Picture this season. I would not have chosen this movie as it does not have a concise story. If you want to see it for Awards season, go ahead.