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LICORICE PIZZA MOVIE REVIEW

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 5/20/2022 3:56:10 PM

A CURIOUSLY MEANDERING TALE OF YOUNG LOVE

Set in California in the early ‘70s, a romance develops between two youngsters. REVIEW: Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) is a 15-year-old budding actor with a few credits to his name. He’s overconfident to the extent of being cocky. This costs him his acting gig, but he convinces the 20-something Alana (Alana Haim) to go out with him. Alana is struggling to find her own purpose and identity. She’s particularly intent on distancing herself from her conservative Jewish family. Despite being older, she befriends Gary and his group of buddies, teaming up with him on his entrepreneurial ventures. Though Gary clearly has feelings for Alana, she repeatedly turns him down. But she can’t bear to see him g e t t i n g involved with others. Over the years, the two weave in and out of each other’s lives as they encounter various characters in San Fernando Valley. Like all his other films, Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest is an experience in and of itself. ‘Licorice Pizza’ (slang for ‘vinyl record’) has an underlying theme of youth clinging to the last threads of innocence before entering the confusing and unpleasant world of adulthood. The film is devoid of a plot and driven more by moments. It often feels like a series of vignettes pieced together with Gary and Alana’s relationship.