Although he has examined the maturity level of several characters throughout his career, director Paul Thomas Anderson has yet to deliver a coming-of-age story on the level of Licorice Pizza. At its core, the film is a love story – a will they/won’t they tale set against the backdrop of the San Fernando Valley circa 1973. It has all the careful attention to detail that Anderson is known for, and is anchored by two stellar performances by its young leads. More importantly, Licorice Pizza should stand out as one of Paul Thomas Anderson’s best films for its heart, its humor, and its ability to capture the fluidity of emotion during adolescence.
Licorice Pizza is anchored by two stellar performances from Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim. As Gary and Alana, the two actors bring a ton of authenticity to this burgeoning relationship. They highlight the intricacies that come from two people who think there is a spark but are oftentimes too afraid to admit it. At times Gary is hilariously upfront with Alana, who is over a decade his senior, but she still finds him charming. There’s something magical in the earnestness with which Anderson approaches the idea of a May-September romance that it never feels trite or creepy.
The film makes a lot out of the seemingly mundane, from Gary’s various business ventures to Alana’s desire to break free from her stifling Jewish family. The two experience a ton of adventures but so few of them are predicated on the idea of their relationship or the romance. They have made it through each scenario together and that feels like the building blocks of those growing feelings. Licorice Pizza never glorifies any moment as being about love, but revels in the random hijinks the two get up to, like witnessing Sean Penn’s character leap over a fire pit on a motorcycle or their encounter with Bradley Cooper’s Jon Peters, who is a bonafide scene-stealer.
At times, the Gary-Alana relationship almost feels like a red herring. The film isn’t really about whether or not they will get together; it was just the motivation behind featuring these two characters’ stories. But like any unconventional love story, Licorice Pizza pulls it all together so wonderfully that the full scope of the journey feels worth it. Paul Thomas Anderson has yet another incredible feat of filmmaking on his hands.
Licorice Pizza is available now in theaters.