Review: ‘Licorice Pizza’ isn’t your average tale of boy meets girl

Some people have magnetic personalities that draw others to them, even against their better judgement. Their charisma is simply irresistible and we instinctively know they will change our lives forever… for better or worse. Avoiding them leaves a void that no one else can fill and being around them is like being in the presence of an eclipse. They’re always surrounded by people, but can still make you feel like the only person in the room. Unsurprisingly, being around this person can also be overwhelming as demonstrated in Licorice Pizza.

Instead of going to college, Alana Kane (Alana Haim) is meandering through life with no goals or destination. In contrast, Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) may only be in high school, but he’s going places. A child TV star and small-time celebrity, Gary is always looking for the next big opportunity. In spite of the age difference, he insists on pursuing Alana and against her better judgement she agrees to be his friend. The pair become almost inseparable and engage in unconventional activities, such as being his guardian for an out-of-state acting engagement, managing a business together and doing more running than most teenagers not in a sports movie. These situations and the different expectations of their relationship puts a lot of stress on their friendship, which results in some intense confrontations fuelled by their suppressed feelings. Yet, they always find their way back to each other.

The film takes place in 1973, which allows for a lot of circumstances that are far less likely to occur now. Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson is very fond of the decade, having set several of his films in the ‘70s. It feels like an era of possibility with fewer restrictions and less judgement. Thus, no one bats an eye when a teenager decides to recruit his friends in launching a full-fledged, brick-and-mortar business. Nor does anyone give Alana a hard time for spending so much time with a kid, instead of focusing on her own ambitions. Yet, around their tentative love story, Anderson adds some unexpected encounters that allows the characters to grow, from an enlightening work dinner to an egocentric filmmaker (Sean Penn) to an ostentatious client (Bradley Cooper) who demands a very specific pronunciation of “Streisand.”

This is a very unusual love story as the main characters spend most of the movie not involved. Instead, Gary pines after Alana while trying to grow closer to her and prove his value as a romantic interest. However, as this is a long-term strategy, they both flirt with and date other people, igniting jealousy in each other in spite of their lack of official attachment. Nevertheless, even though some their other partners appear more suited for each of them respectively, their connection to each other is always lurking and insisting they make a better pair.

This is a movie based in experiences, and Haim and Hoffman effectively invite viewers into their strange world of awkward encounters, business risks and hard lessons. What’s most surprising is this is both of their first feature films. Their chemistry appropriately shifts between hot and cold, while their performances perfectly capture the eccentricities of each of their characters’ personalities, whether it’s the blander voice of reason or a magnetic car salesman.

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman and Sean Penn