5 Things on Licorice Pizza and The Definitive, Absolutely Not Up For Debate Paul Thomas Anderson Rankings
A film with a title seemingly so random that Reynolds Woodcock feels ordinary
Licorice Pizza is Paul Thomas Anderson's newest film about young people in the valley. It is one of those films that can't really be spoiled as the plot is loose and somewhat unimportant. It is easy to compare this film with other great hang out films where we are so drawn to the characters and whatever mischief they find themselves in but this one feels more like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood than it does Dazed and Confused in the way that it is about the when and where and less about the who. As for the who in Licorice Pizza it is a coming of age story about young lovers, sort of. Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) while lining up for his high school portraits meets Alana Kane (Alana Haim from HAIM) who is working for the photography company. She is about ten years his senior but that doesn't stop Gary from confessing to his younger brother that he "met the girl I'm going to marry one day" when speaking about Alana. There is a point in the film where Alana asks her older sister (Danielle Haim): "Is it weird I hang out with Gary and his loser friends all the time?" The question is answered with a long drag off a cigarette and a response: "Do you think it’s weird?" Of course it’s fucking weird. PTA mentions in several interviews that they make sure they don’t cross any lines of inappropriateness.
“It’s only romantic in their flirtations; it’s not romantic in any consummation of things. That would be inappropriate. You can tell there’s an incredible attraction between them, but there’s a line that can’t be crossed.” - from variety
Maybe the two characters don't cross that line into total inappropriateness where it makes you feel gross watching this relationship blossom or if there is a touch of it, it’s played up for a laugh. Gary is this ambitious, overly charismatic child actor and Alana is this character who is stuck working a job she hates (for more than a few good reasons) and she is searching for a place where she can provide value. She does't want to work for her parents real estate company, she isn't like her sisters but she is far from the ugly duckling. But when Gary manages to convince Alana to meet him for dinner at his favourite place the Tale O' the Cock and tells her "I'm not going to forget you" he means that earnestly (there isn't really anything Gary says in the film that he doesn't absolutely believe), it is as if nobody has seen her in her life until now. Maybe she is an actress or entrepreneur or politician? The film allows her to explore many different avenues as she tries to find herself. The film was marketed like a story of two lovers in the valley but it evolves into a story that resembles the themes of PTA’s older films. Found and chosen family.
Going back through PTA's filmography there is a thorough line of young drifter types trying to find their place within a specific group of people. Everybody wants to find their tribe. Its Dirk Diggler finding his calling in the porn industry with Jack Horner, Freddie Quell and whatever Lancaster Dodd does and now Gary and Alana. Each of these characters have a void they want to fill and they fill that void with this quasi (cult) leader.
Alana is this young, hip Jewish girl form the Valley who can't decide on what she wants to do or who she wants to be.1 While Gary is this self proclaimed showman with a fast talking mouth and faster legs. Every business he attempts to start is one big show with bright lights, music and the rest of it. Even if the thing he is doing isn't the right thing, the next thing is the best thing. That sureness is what attracts Alana to this kid. She latches onto the person who needs her to drive him and his loser friends around or be his adult chaperone as he goes on a press tour (perhaps the notable absence of Gary’s mother is what leads him to such reliance on an older woman). This part feels very much like those teenage horror films where the parents are mysteriously yet conveniently missing.2 Everyone wants to find a place to call home. Somewhere they can feel like what they are doing is enough. These two found that with each other in parts. The long sprawling narrative takes a (very literal) turn from a coming of age story to a comedy, then a thriller mixed with socio-political drama of the 1970's3 and then all the way back into this love story. A love story between Gary and Alana or PTA and his beloved valley neighbourhood (I haven’t figured out which is sweeter). Either way it is a joy to watch, the movie feels alive and lived in. The characters feel real and relatable4 and it ultimately is fun to watch them run through the valley streets getting into misadventures as we listen to the damn good soundtrack.
There are a few moments in the film that should be addressed. There is a white character who speaks with a fake Japanese accent to his several Japanese wives. More cringe and corny than racist and offensive. The film takes place in the early 1970's but was made this passed year and change. The scenes are played for comedy but the laughs weren't worth the gag. It is a scene that already feels like it sticks out like a hippie hitchhiker's thumb and it is simply not an effective joke. It feels unnecessary and out of place with where we are at in the world.5 Could the movie have operated just as well without it? Most definitely. It isn’t a moment where I sit in the theatre thinking what the hell am I doing but maybe this film would have been perfect without it. Nobody wants to eat at an American-Japanese fusion restaurant run by a white man anyway!
Every PTA film feels like an event. A film I have to go to the theatres (even in a global pandemic with the proper safety measures in place) on the first day it comes out to see. This felt no different. Even if just for a few moments after the end credits roll I feel like I experienced something singular and unique. Somehow I experienced a place and a time that I’ve never lived, and a I already miss it.
Now some things about the film that I love (TL;DR)
5 things:
Gary in the film plays a mattress salesman which is a touching homage to his late father and frequent PTA collaborator Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Punch Drunk Love
Alana Haim has too much talent for one person. One person should only be good at a few things maximum to keep it fair for everyone else. She can sing, she can dance, she can ride a horse, she speaks many languages and can fence!
There is a car (or truck) scene that is as thrilling as any great high octane car chase scene in movie history.
The needle drops are as good as any Scorsese . I've been playing the soundtrack ever since I saw the film.
Re-watchable - one of those films you can stumble upon at any point in the film and watch it through the end. Except this isn't really a thing anymore, channel surfing and landing on a film used to be something I loved to do. I saw so many half and 3/4 films in my day (washed).
RANKINGS:
PTA is one of my favourite filmmakers dead or alive. I present the rankings of his films with no context or explanation. We can fight in the comments if you so wish.
**Not counting the music documentary Junun that he did with Johnny Greenwood that is actually a great watch but didn't feel right to include it with the feature length narrative films.**
There Will Be Blood
The Master
Boogie Nights
Phantom Thread
Punch Drunk Love
Licorice Pizza
Magnolia
Inherent Vice
Hard Eight
Licorice Pizza Ranking:
9/10 Soggy Bottom waterbeds.
After every review on a film, I will give out a few recommendations. Think the “more like this” feature on Netflix but better.
FILMS TO WATCH IF YOU LIKED THIS ONE:
American Graffiti George Lucas 1973
Rushmore Wes Anderson 1998 (Disney+)
Lost in Translation Sofia Coppola 2003 (Netflix)
Thank you for reading! For every read I gain a tiny bit of self worth. Tell your friends!
Love!
For entire film about this see The Worst Person in the World (Joachim Trier 2021), a very different but equally beautiful film.
Watch It Follows (David Robert Mitchell 2014) for a good modern example of this.
For a good film on this see Shampoo (Hal Asbhy 1975).
Unlike the very good, very popular and often meme’d Euphoria where they take the trope of using actors in their mid to (very) late 20’s to play high school kids to a new high. (sorry)
Great post! Love the more like this feature. Keep it up 👍🏻