Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza has all the fun things we liked about his Boogie Nights and thankfully none of the dark. With that said, the storytelling isn’t quite as coherent.
Gary Valentine (Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son) is an entrepreneurial teen whose modestly successful child acting career is waning. With the help of his friend Alana (Alana Haim of HAIM) he starts a water bed business in 1973 LA. A lot of sidestepping with amusing supporting characters from the likes of Bradley Cooper and Sean Penn, which is where the good stuff of Licorice Pizza prevails. Truly, what the film achieves lies in its ensemble of actors.
The vignettes with Cooper, Penn, and Christine Ebersole as a Lucille Ball-like variety show star are what held my fascination with Licorice Pizza. That and the superb soundtrack filled with good 70s music. My only complaint in that respect- and it’s super nit-picky- is that some of the songs post-date 1973. For example, Suzi Quatro’s “Stumblin’ In,” which was actually released in 1979. Save for this, the production values are staggering. Every set, every piece of clothing, every haircut is authentically early 1970s.
Licorice Pizza is a period piece that looks great, with a story that is good. The acting, however, is excellent; it’s the talent of all the stars that propel the film to being the worthwhile viewing it is.
