
Licorice Pizza
3.5
(1.1K)
Drama
Comedy
Romance
2021
133 min
R
The story of Gary Valentine and Alana Kane growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973.
Starring:
Drama
Comedy
Romance
Teen Romance
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"Most of the time, I wasn't sure what I was watching not knowing who was the real protagonist or where the real story was... but then found myself drawn into the quirky randomness of it, a kind of carefree feeling which the characters, the location, and the times seem to exude -- the growing up-ness of it all. Alana's stride was magical."
"Licorice Pizza feels like slicing determinedly through the air, with the breeze tangling up your hair, on the euphoria of just living, messing up, and loving freely, while trying to be something and not knowing quite what that is yet. It’s misstep after misstep until you fall into the lap of something spectacular.
Alana Kane, played by Alana Haim of the vibrant, eclectic girl group Haim, is a natural and a stand-out talent. One who fiercely embraces the confused, transitional process of becoming. Her whole family in fact are stand-outs, who star in this breath-of-fresh air flick, soundtracked by the out-of-this-world David Bowie and his captivating tune, “Life on Mars?” , as Alana and her equally as wayward, “part-time lover, full-time friend,” Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman), go on adventure after adventure, trying to find the meaning and purpose behind it all. They dabble in the sometimes disenchanting world of business start-ups that reach nothing short of the best kind of originality. And even go on to attempt acting as Alana, at Gary’s suggestion, assuredly, comically pretends she can do anything that the production company could possibly want.
Alana is young, alive, and has all the right timing and confidence that it can take her just about anywhere, which is single-handedly right where this movie goes and that’s the beauty of how far-encompassing its scope and imagination is. It’s colorful, genuine, and impactful, and asks the hard questions. And we are also reminded that if we haven’t the faintest who we are or where we are going that that’s perfectly okay too. "
"Another unbearably long and pointless movie by one of the great directors who all collectively seem to be descending into navel gazing about the good old times.... Will place this movie squarely on the list of others like Once upon a time in Hollywood and The Irishman and hope these guys will snap out of it soon and get back to their old glory. 5 out of 10"
"Unable to finish. There was something going for it, but I just couldn’t figure it out. "
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Evan Cook
"Finally got around to watching this after reading about it being nominated for some Golden Globes a couple of years ago. Though it was a little slow at times it was still quite funny & entertaining even if just for some glorified cameos from Sean Penn, Bradley Cooper & John Michael Higgins. It was also neat to watch the late great actor Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son Cooper in the lead. He seems to be on his way to being every bit as good as his dad once was. I look forward to seeing him in the future."
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Claire Freeman