No. 101 (2021) LICORICE PIZZA Dec. 15th.

 

Film No. 101 (2021)  December 15th.  6.45 PM   Cinema 5.  LUNA,  Leederville. 

"I think it's weird that I hang around with Gary and his fifteen year old friends all the time."(Alana confides in a friend about concerns she has for the way her life is going).

The highly talented Paul Thomas Anderson (BOOGIE NIGHTS, THERE WILL BE BLOOD, PHANTOM THREAD) is back. I say back; he has in fact been extremely busy directing music videos for Haim, the very popular band consisting of the Haim sisters.  One of their clips, VALENTINO, is a wonderful example of his work. One of the sisters Alana cuts an excellent profile in this video. Anderson saw enough in her to cast her as the lead in LICORICE PIZZA. Alana Hain is good here.

L.P. as a film could best be described as a breath of fresh air. Anderson's young leads, Hain as Alana and Cooper Hoffman (son of the late Philip Seymor) as Gary, represent the reason for that freshness. Anderson's script simply brings us these fresh faces using the themes of commitment, loyalty and ultimately romance. Knowing Alana is twenty five and Gary just fifteen might spell sleaze but when Gary calls the shots as a no-holds-barred entrepreneur, sleaze never enters our minds.

The meandering story-line of Licorice Pizza is irrelevant. If I was to compare the film with another, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, comes to mind. Mainly for the loose references to real life legends. Sean Penn's, Jack Holden could be a combination of burnt out stars and Brad Cooper's, Jon Peters (dressed like Barry Gibb) has a couple of laugh out loud sequences as Barbara Streisand's boyfriend. For those familiar with the late Robert Altman's work, Nashville, it has always been one of Anderson's favourite films and it shows here.

While we laugh at the absurdity of this little love caper, the real magic comes from the wholeheartedness Haim and Hoffman bestow upon us. Their youth and optimism infects us. It's like a Christmas Movie without a festive theme. Thanks again Paul Thomas A. You've got some tricks, and Licorice Pizza is yet another. 10GUMS.