Licorice Pizza: Paul Thomas Anderson's Masterful Meditation on Becoming In "Licorice Pizza", Paul Thomas Anderson does what he does best: he transforms the messy, uncertain terrain of human becoming into a luminous, deeply compassionate narrative. Set in the San Fernando Valley of the 1970s, the film follows Alana and Gary - two souls navigating that treacherous landscape between adolescence and genuine adulthood. Their relationship isn't a traditional romance, but a complex dance of aspiration, confusion, and tentative connection. Anderson's distinctive cinematic language is perfectly suited to this narrative. His episodic structure mirrors the non-linear path of personal discovery. Scenes drift and connect like memory itself - impressionistic, unpredictable, charged with both humor and melancholy. Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman are nothing short of revelatory as first-time actors. Their performances transcend typical debut expectations, displaying a raw, intuitive understanding of character that many seasoned professionals never achieve. Haim, particularly, brings a complex emotional landscape to Alana - vulnerable yet defiant, lost yet determined. Hoffman channels a pitch-perfect blend of teenage bravado and genuine vulnerability. They're not performing characters so much as revealing the raw, unfinished nature of human potential. Their performances feel less like acting and more like witnessed life. The 1970s backdrop isn't mere nostalgia. It's a metaphor for cultural transition - a moment when traditional narratives are dissolving and new possibilities are just beginning to emerge. That, and the reflection of that in the soundtrack, are awesome. Ultimately, "Licorice Pizza" argues that becoming is a process, not a destination. And who better to tell that story than Paul Thomas Anderson, cinema's most empathetic cartographer of human complexity?

The is a real colourful oddball of a movie. From start to finish we are instantly thrown into Alana´s journey and are taken trough a series of strange situations and developments. There is no pre-development or little to be told about the main characters history. The movie is a moment-to-moment tag-along story of romance and its ups and downs. However i enjoyed the little humour moments in it and i had to giggle at times. Catches the 70´s vibe mighty good and i personally enjoyed every moment of it. Of course the woke community had to react to this movie but there is nothing to be offended about anything. Enjoy the film.

Full review: <a>https://www.tinakakadelis.com/beyond-the-cinerama-dome/2021/12/28/sweet-valley-high-licorice-pizza-review<a> There’s a lackadaisical feeling that runs throughout writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s _Licorice Pizza_. It feels like summer, where there’s nothing in the world but time and friends to spend it with. With a loose narrative and a long run time, Licorice Pizza has moments of magic. It’s a perfect snapshot of wasting lazy, hazy, eternal summer days with your best friends and the crazy ideas you cook up together. Getting to see it on 70mm really adds to this dreamy ambiance.