The Fallacy of Licorice Pizza’s Critical Acclaim
Expect to receive nothing more than a whimsical smell of 1970’s odor drenching the eye-rolling theme of love.
Critics and audiences have been raving over Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest movie release “Licorice Pizza.” Although it is aesthetically pleasing, with beautiful promo advertisement and a star-studded cast, the movie fails to deliver anything other than some fantastic acting. The age old art of storytelling is lost in this movie despite what most critics have to say.
What’s wrong with Licorice Pizza?
Aside from Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman’s stellar performance, “Licorice Pizza” is devoid of any meaning or depth. The name of the picture has little to do with the film itself. As Paul Thomas Anderson shared in an interview, he chose the title because it reminded him of his childhood. “Licorice Pizza”, which is slang for vinyl records, as well as the name of a 70’s record store, is never referred to or part of the film. The film has absolutely nothing to do with records, misleading viewers with a false sense of detail and relevancy to the time period it tries to evoke.
As a Roger Ebert review put it, the story line in this movie is “not the point.” There is no captivating, coherent story throughout the film. Nothing of importance happens except for some comedic relief. The producers of this film were right in reading the minds of movie goers everywhere. “We’re tired of epic movies, and we’re tired of movies that try to entertain us. Give us two hours of meandering scenes that go in no particular direction!”
For a whopping two hours, the contents of the film are disappointing. Portrayed as a “coming-of-age” movie, the two protagonists, Alana Kane and Gary Valentine, are smitten with each other and the audience is forced to watched as 25 year-old Alana and 15 year-old Gary indulge in inappropriate feelings. To be fair, there is one great message to take away from this film; we watch Gary have the chance to grope Alana while she is unconscious and he ultimately doesn’t. So, five minutes of this film might be worth showing our children in the years to come when it is time to explain that the urge to grope someone can always be avoided.
If this movie were about a 25-year-old male whisked away by a 15-year-old girl’s charm, audiences and critics would have had a much different view of “Licorice Pizza.” The moral perversions of this film are largely ignored. It should be apparent that any adult who has romantic feelings towards a teenager has large underlying emotional and psychological issues. Yet, Alana Kane’s immaturity and inability to pursue meaningful connections with men her age is romanticized and disregarded.
The dismissal of Licorice Pizza’s vapid storyline and amoral undertones is concerning. Despite the success of professional acting, the movie falls short of merit, degrading the quality cinema awards should uphold. Licorice Pizza relied on professional acting, a few laughs, Paul Thomas Anderson’s clout, and nostalgia, and it’s being rewarded for it.
Why has Licorice Pizza Received Nominations and Awards?
Paul Thomas Anderson and the cast of “Licorice Pizza” already have established ties and connections in the world of Hollywood. Those who appreciate HAIM will be impressed with the sisters’ dual threat knack for acting in this film. Fans of Philip Seymour Hoffman will be happy to see his son thriving in front of the big screen. Devout cinephiles will count “Licorice Pizza” as a success after “Boogie Nights” and “There Will be Blood”, films also by Paul Thomas Anderson.
Critics and fans of Paul Thomas Anderson may be easily impressed by this film because of the filmmaker’s reputation. It’s the equivalent of believing all of Quentin Tarantino’s films are great. (Sorry, they’re not.) Furthermore, those who grew up in the 70's might like the cast’s wardrobe and honest portrayal of gasoline prices being less than a dollar. But all the superficial reasons for admiring this film are just that- unsound superficiality. We might be setting the bar low for future films if we praise “Licorice Pizza” as “Best Film” of the year.
Perhaps I just didn’t get the film. After all I had never heard of Paul Thomas Anderson before “Licorice Pizza.” And with all the big Hollywood name-dropping preceding this film, it’s easy to see how hard it is to not be impressed.
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What do you think? Is there anything missing from this analysis?
