Licorice Pizza

Paul Thomas Anderson has a made an inconspicuously brilliant fresco of the fringes of the show-business world of 1970s L.A., where the glow of the really big names is seen only from a distance, but is thus all the more enticing to all possible bizarre characters comprising washed-up stars, dilettantes, grown-up child actors, fallen showmen and over-aged talent scouts. Thanks to the brilliant directing and meticulous casting, every character gives the sense of a full life lived, even if he or she only flashes by in a single scene or shot. Mainly, however, Licorice Pizza is a perfectly observed ode to the ambivalent relationships and promises of young love. (01/06/2023)

I don't know Paul Thomas Anderson, so don't expect any odes to his old works, but an independent opinion on Licorice Pizza. Well, it's a decent dose of retro bizarreness, but not in a good way. The leading duo is great, and even the first half of the film is decently paced and entertaining, but the second half, along with the nonsensical casting of Bradley Cooper, devolves into a set of random scenes with no point, humor, or any cinematic overtones. Like why? What is the point of the film? What is it supposed to give us? Boring, weird and a waste of two hours... (04/07/2022)

Nothing groundbreaking from the director this time. The story revolves around uninteresting people doing incredibly uninteresting things. Alana Haim didn't impress me at all, whereas Cooper Hoffman not only resembles his father but also delivers a fantastic performance. The only standout is the period soundtrack, which Paul Thomas Anderson always nails. Some supporting roles, especially Bradley Cooper’s, add a bit of excitement to the otherwise dull proceedings. Fans of Anderson's films and his stories about seemingly insignificant people will probably be satisfied as usual. (01/07/2023)

For some, a happy return to Wes Anderson's roots; unfortunately for me, just a return to Anderson's roots. I would much rather see an ambitious drama that the academy has been serving up in regular doses for the past fifteen years than a hesitant trip to the beloved valley. Just like I was once confused by subjectively unpleasant Punch-Drunk Love, I feel the same here, with a series of episodic stories with a conditional alienation effect that lacks a solid foundation. I don't know why I need a psychopath on a motorcycle or a maniac at a gas station. They throw in an image of the times that does a disservice to the seventies and only increases the frequency with which we circle the main couple, who do not fit together at first or even second glance. There is no comparison with the proven storytellers of wandering youthful tales. (03/25/2022)

Another one of Anderson's films telling the story of complicated characters to whom he adapts his optics of perception. If you’re not already capable of developing the empathy needed for the film (even beyond your sympathies), you will absolutely not understand what he is asking you to do and will probably find the film maddeningly irritating. But fortunately for you, there are those other films. (06/20/2022)