Paul Thomas Anderson has made nine feature films in 25 years, including masterpieces such as “There Will Be Blood” and “The Silk Thread”. With a romance he now looks at the 70s.
Los Angeles – The San Fernando Valley, northwest of Los Angeles, is the setting for the coming-of-age romance ‘Licorice Pizza.’ There the director and screenwriter Paul Thomas Anderson, born in 1970, grew up.
He has already set Boogie Nights (1997), about the rise and fall of a porn actor, and the episodic film Magnolia (1999), both of which pay homage to the 1970s, in the sprawling suburb.
Again, Anderson takes viewers back to 1973. Waterbeds are all the rage, flared trousers, miniskirts and polyester suits are all in fashion. Hollywood star Barbra Streisand made headlines with celebrity hairstylist Jon Peters, who went on to produce her hit “A Star is Born.” Richard Nixon is US President and the oil price crisis is causing a shortage of gasoline in California.
Ten years age difference
For Gary Valentine, it’s the time of his first love. Pimples and baby fat can’t stop the confident teenager. After all, the 15-year-old can already show TV appearances and film roles as a child star. His “crush” is twenty-something brunette Alana Kane, a photo assistant he meets in the schoolyard. “I met my future wife,” Gary enthuses to his younger brother.
“I’m an entertainer, that’s my destiny,” boasts the redhead with mushroom hairdo when they meet, arrogant but with boyish charm. Despite a ten-year age difference, the two become platonic friends. No sex, but a tumultuous coming-of-age romance told by Anderson with warmth, wit, pace and plausibility.
The son of Philip Seymour Hoffman
Both have quirks and are adorable at the same time – thanks to the cast, who have been in show business for a long time but are making their feature film debut with Licorice Pizza. Cooper Hoffman (18) is the son of Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman (“Capote”), who died in 2014 at the age of 46 from a drug overdose. Anderson had made five films with the acting genius, most recently the cult drama “The Master,” in which Hoffman played an imperious guru in 2013.
Alana is portrayed by Californian pop-rock musician Alana Haim. The 30-year-old was on stage with her parents and siblings early on, and she founded the band Haim with her sisters Danielle and Este Haim. The whole family can also play in “Licorice Pizza”.
For 134 minutes, Gary and Alana whirl through the San Fernando Valley, experiencing the ups and downs of their curious friendship while both discovering themselves. They audition for roles, sell waterbeds, hang out in restaurants, help with an election campaign. They also run into Hollywood greats.
Bradley Cooper as Celebrity Hairdresser
Wearing white bell-bottoms and a silver chain, Bradley Cooper transforms into the funky celebrity hairdresser Jon Peters, who takes on Gary when he delivers a waterbed. “Do you know who I am, who my girlfriend is,” the Streisand lover snaps at the teenager. Sean Penn plays an aging, drinking Hollywood star who tries to impress Alana with his stories and a motorcycle stunt. Singer Tom Waits gets involved as a cigar-smoking director.
Anderson’s witty, sentimental story is not fictitious. He drew on many of the experiences of his friend Gary Goetzman, the director told Variety. Goetzman, business partner of Tom Hanks and producer of films like “Mamma Mia!” and “New World”, was an actor in his teens and also worked in the waterbed business.
The title “Licorice Pizza” does not stand for a pizza with a liquorice topping, but comes from a record store chain in southern California that was popular in the 70s. Music plays a big role in the film. British composer Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead) provides the soundtrack, featuring old hits by David Bowie, The Doors, Chuck Berry, Nina Simone and Sonny and Cher.
Finally an Oscar for Paul Thomas Anderson?
With his eight feature films to date, Anderson has been nominated for an Oscar a total of eight times as a director and screenwriter, but has always gone away empty-handed. His dark capitalism drama There Will Be Blood earned lead actor Daniel Day-Lewis an Oscar. In 2018, Day-Lewis and Anderson were Oscar contenders for Lead Actor, Director and Best Picture with the fashion drama The Thread by Thread.
Maybe Anderson can convince the Oscar Academy at the ninth attempt with the lighter comedy tone. The renowned American Film Institute (AFI) chose “Licorice Pizza” in December as one of the ten best films of 2021. A good harbinger: AFI candidates usually make it into the Oscar contenders in the top category “Best Picture”.
Licorice Pizza, USA 2021, 134 min., FSK from 12, by Paul Thomas Anderson, with Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper dpa
