Jacked In Reviews ‘Licorice Pizza’ (2021)

Similar to Paul Thomas Anderson, Jacked In’s Jack has a massive appreciation for the vintage aesthetic. So, it’s only right that he viewed Anderson’s latest feature, Licorice Pizza, on 35mm for another classic experience at Newcastle upon Tyne’s Tyneside Cinema.

The thing about Anderson’s movies is they all differ greatly from one another and yet, they’re all connected by the director’s style and nuances. And as soon as our leading (braless) lady, twenty-five-year-old Alana Kane (Alana Haim) slowly waltzes down a line of high schoolers on picture day before proceeding to get hit on by our leading lad Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) – who is ten years her junior – you can tell straight away… This is a PTA flick.

Taking place in 1973’s San Fernando Valley, the story sees Gary, a child star actor, declare his infatuation for Alana and plucks her from her high school photography job. Gary has a loveable charm and Alana has the sass, together, they navigate their way through life as well as their feelings for one another. The legendary late Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s son [Cooper] shows the apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree and Haim steps away from the mic onto the big screen seamlessly with an Oscar-worthy performance.

Anderson is no stranger to being able to nail the 70s’ and this picture is no exception. With an unflattering wardrobe for the cast, contrasting bright and vibrant colours against these gritty surroundings, topped off with a soundtrack that compliments the era perfectly.

Typical for the director, the feature has plenty of colourful individuals (both real and fictional), each beautifully chaotic in their own way. The characters that surround Gary and Alana, don’t have a conclusion to their story’s that would necessarily give one closure, but it isn’t their journey we’re following. We’re bumping into these people, during brief encounters that sum them up wonderfully and that’s all we need.

In short, Licorice Pizza gives you exactly what the title promises, something alternative. A fun, original take on a coming of age/love story about two people who are both very unique and at different stages in their lives, but equal in their struggle.

It’s quirky, loveable, pulls no punches and not forgetting, absolutely hilarious in the unapologetic way that Anderson does best.

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