Licorice Pizza (Paul Thomas Anderson)

Sad Professor · 27-09-2021 7:40pm #1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofnXPwUPENo

..

Sad Professor · 27-09-2021 7:47pm

That’s Philip Seymour Hoffman’s son and one of the Haim sisters.

johnny_ultimate · 27-09-2021 8:41pm

Looks great. I’ve come around to Punch Drunk Love maybe being my favourite PTA, and this gives some vibes similar to that. But Phantom Thread was so good I’m just on board for whatever.

S.M.B. · 27-09-2021 10:51pm

Quality trailer, I've no real idea where the plot of this movie is likely to go but I'm massively on board based on that two and a half minutes of footage.

2smiggy · 28-09-2021 8:11am

enjoyed the soundtrack, not too sure what's going on. Sort of interested

Beechwoodspark · 28-09-2021 8:26am

Yeah....

dunno what I was expecting, but the trailer hasn’t wowed me at all... looks like a sort of high school in 70s LA sort of effort.

Very different from his last few

pixelburp · 28-09-2021 10:06am

Man, I have no idea what was going on in that trailer; so ... cool! I think it looks like something more overtly comedic than a few of PTA's previous. And of course, scoring a trailer to Life on Mars is always going to give any film featured a bump in quality.

Interesting to see Sean Penn "back"; he disappeared for a good while.

This all reminds me that

a) I must actually finish watching Inherent Vice one day; and...

b) ... uh. Look guys. I haven't got around to watching There Will Be Blood yet. I have the blu-ray n' all.

Decuc500 · 28-09-2021 10:49am

Looks a lot more accessible than his more recent films, more like his earlier work.

The casting looks a bit gimmicky though.

loyatemu · 28-09-2021 10:53am

you can't go far wrong with "Life on Mars" but other than that the trailer didn't look all that interesting (good to see Tom Waits hasn't completely retired though).

johnny_ultimate · 28-09-2021 11:15am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117948774#Comment_117948774

I felt Phantom Thread was a far lighter, more accessible film than The Master and Inherent Vice. The former especially is a great film, but together they definitely represented a pair of ‘challenging’ films. Whereas Phantom Thread was fleet-footed and welcoming in comparison, with its pleasures more immediate.

Decuc500 · 28-09-2021 1:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117948887#Comment_117948887

Oh yeah, I agree with that. I've only seen Phantom Thread on release so it's due a rewatch.

PTA's films sometimes click better with me the second time I watch them.

I was disappointed the first time I watched Inherent Vice as I was expecting something a bit more immediate or faster paced, but the second time I was able to really get into its mood.

[Deleted User] · 28-09-2021 4:41pm

That trailer had me smiling more than once.

If I'd watched it with no sound and only saw snippets of it I'd still want to see the film based purely on how it looks and was shot. I got vibes of other non PTA films from it too, which isn't a bad thing.

Agree with the above re: Inherent Vice, came away from it the first time feeling like I had my time well and truly wasted. Saw it again over the weekend and it was a different film.

Actually thinking about it now we've watched a few PTA films over the last month or so, Boogie Nights (my favourite of his) Magnolia, and There will be Blood which was probably the 3rd time I've seen it and I still hate it with a passion. I've never actually seen the Master or Phantom Thread. I'll be minded to check out the former but the later never interested me based on the trailers if it's the film I've in my mind.

JP Liz V1 · 03-12-2021 2:49am

The National Board of Review has named Paul Thomas Anderson’s coming of age comedy as it's best film of 2021, another critically acclaimed film from PTA

johnny_ultimate · 10-12-2021 4:47pm

Good news - this is screening in Dublin a bit earlier than initially anticipated. Will be showing in the Light House in 35mm from December 27th. They're also screening all his other films over New Year's week (not in 35mm though AFAIK). Worth keeping an eye out to see if the IFI gets 70mm.

I believe the general release is January 7th, but have seen New Year's Day floating around as well.

johnny_ultimate · 27-12-2021 7:27pm

Not my favourite PTA, but mostly a damn good time nonetheless.

It’s almost plotless: a meandering, freewheeling hangout movie above all else. Several sequences are among the year’s best: a surreal casting session; an impromptu nighttime stunt jump; and (best of all) a surprisingly tense and very funny extended encounter with a demented Jon Peters (Bradley Cooper). It has an air of youthful exuberance to it: PTA’s trademark tracking shots of people walking and running are an ideal fit for the film’s spirit and characters. It’s not all perfect though: there’s one repeated gag in a Japanese restaurant that really doesn’t land the way PTA probably intended it to.

Hoffman is great, Haim is revelatory. Is their central romance inappropriate? Of course, although the film is pretty chaste about it. There’s also the sense that Alana in particular is a character being constantly used and manipulated by people around her. The world of Licorice Pizza is tremendous fun but also rather fucked up. Both aspects are woven into the film both subtly and overtly - very much including the central relationship. There’s a lot of sweet here, but it doesn’t scrimp on the sour either.

gmisk · 28-12-2021 4:49pm

Saw this today in the lighthouse and hugely enjoyed it. Hoffman and Haim are both terrific, the cameos are incredibly fun and OTT! It kind of reminded me of a Richard Linklater film called everybody wants some, not a bad thing at all. As with most modern films no need to be so long! But I found it very immersive and a good time.

7.5/10

speedboatchase · 30-12-2021 4:56pm

I enjoyed that but didn't feel the connection that I feel I was meant to. From an artistic standpoint, it's extremely well done - characters feel real, the cameo serve a purpose and are generally a riot, and the soundtrack is excellent. However, I just did not like the two main characters. That's not a judgement on the appropriateness of the relationship but the fact that I found both characters insecure, immature and to be honest, made for each other in that sense. I just wish I enjoyed their company more than I did. Also, a trim of around 15 mins wouldn't helped pacing a lot.

santana75 · 09-01-2022 8:07pm

Saw this earlier and Ì loved every second of it. Couldn't tell you what exactly it's about but loved it nonetheless. I wasn't a fan of there will be blood or the master, I thought inherent vice was decent enough but this I think is up there with Magnolia and Boogie nights. Not as good, for sure, but definitely a quality film. Cooper Hoffman is such a likeable guy that you're rooting for him most of if not all the way. And Alana is brilliant too, they have serious chemistry which is half the battle. There's a few scenes that I just can't figure, the one with Sean Penn in the bar and after on a motorbike, is one. No idea what that was about. Bradley cooper is terrifying but again, not sure what the point of his scenes where. Anyway I thought it was great but definitely not a film everyone is gonna like, I'd guess a lot of people will find it boring and aimless.

Nigel Fairservice · 11-01-2022 2:22am

I loved Licorice Pizza but what I loved about it I would find hard to put my finger on. Solid performances throughout and great turns put in by Sean Penn and Bradley Cooper. I think I definitely prefer PTA's San Fernando Valley films.

Lefty2Guns · 27-01-2022 9:21am

Watched it last night. Like others I enjoyed it (No where near PTA's best IMO) as the acting was great same with the characters.

I just felt it lacked in combining the stories/scenes/characters to make the overall story work. I wouldn't be telling anyone to rush to the cinema to see it if I'm honest. A few scenes in it had me scratching my head, however, I did laugh out loud on a good few occasions.

3/5 for me.

[Deleted User] · 27-01-2022 8:30pm

You'll still be thinking about it next week.

Wombatman · 20-02-2022 5:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118538789#Comment_118538789

Agree with this. Would have preferred if great acting and enjoyable set piece scenes contributed to a coherent story or plot.

Soundtrack and some other aspects of movie like school life, costumes and set design a bit cliché.

Movie is lots of fun though with some memorable scenes (Penn and Waits, audition with agency, Japaneses restaurant guy, Cooper truck drive etc).

3/5

~Rebel~ · 21-02-2022 7:15am

Quite enjoyed it, though would agree it’s not PTA’s best.

The lack of traditional plot didn’t bother me at all though. The relationship was the story, with the settings and events (whether wacky or regular) just acting as contexts in which to place whatever emotional beat was happening between them. It wasn’t about where they were or what they were doing, as much as what they were thinking of each other in any given moment. The shifting state of those feelings for each other is the plot, up till the point where their feelings finally match.

fatbhoy · 23-02-2022 12:09pm

Absolutely loved it. 9/10

pixelburp · 24-02-2022 3:47pm

Felt like a distinct companion piece to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, both being lazy hangout films, more enthused for their wistful, dawdling ambles around a bygone California than structuring a conventional story. And because I'd already seen something of that type with Tarantino's own nostalgic trip, here it all felt kinda redundant in places. Almost goes without saying though that this was a gloriously handsome movie, 35mm cameras put to great use: if you ever want a shorthand to quickly represent the idea of "Cinema" with a capital C, you could do worse than to point at anything from PTA.

And there are no two ways about it, the central conceit constantly nagged me throughout. For sure the leads were extremely charismatic, and the chemistry was there - but that age gap. It's utterly trite to say it, but were the genders flipped, I don't think there'd have been half the tolerance towards the central "romance"; and while Gary came off 15 going on 30, it felt like a contrived, almost dishonest attempt to sidestep the issue. Now to be fair, the film did address this within its own structure, Alana's sometimes aware of her stunted social network - but then the actual conclusion kinda ruined that sense of emotional ambiguity.

Then again, everyone in the movie was kinda messed up, or just plain broken; maybe that was the point.

sporina · 15-03-2022 8:55pm

watched this last night - really liked it.. v different.. both great lead characters... so quirky... full of innuendo.. (I prob didn't understand the background to a lot of it though as dunno much about California in the 70's but I could appreciate the tone of it none the less) lovvvvved the scene with her reversing the van with no fuel lol... v apt for now re: the oil crisis ekk.. so yeah.. both have major flaws and conflict - but at the end of the day.. they love each other flaws and all lol

NewbridgeIR · 19-03-2022 12:11am

Bought the soundtrack CD - excellent stuff. Look forward to the film.

sprucemoose · 14-06-2022 6:22pm

the ending jarred a bit to me, at no point up to the last like 5/10 mins did it seem that the relationship was anything other than platonic on her part

then again maybe im just jealous, still waiting on alana haim to profess her love for me unfortunately

Nigel Fairservice · 14-06-2022 6:31pm

It's on sale on iTunes for €5.99 at the moment, bought myself a copy last night for a second watch.

Caquas · 01-09-2022 7:04pm

Now on Prime.

Fun if you enjoy 70s nostalgia but unsatisfying because the central relationship is weird and the plot goes off in tangents which add up to nothing much.

A 25 year old woman hangs out with a 15 year guy but their relationship is ambiguous/confusing until the very (unconvincing) end. The development of their relationship is not helped by a very episodic storyline. He starts out as a sort of teenage star, performing in a goofey number on national TV but that storyline virtually disappears as he becomes a waterbed salesman, then gets into pinball machines when they are de-criminalised (yeah, the 70s were crazy). He never looks 15 - he could pass for a High School senior but then the relationship would be very different.

Bradley Cooper and Sean Penn have cameos, outdoing each other in craziness.

Hard to believe this was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar and won various other awards but what other comedies were there last year?

BruteStock · 01-09-2022 9:39pm

I don't get it. The man is a genius behind the camera. The camera work and scene setting , the visual flair and flawless recreating of the early 70's. Its all phenomenal to look at. But then its wasted on a film with minimal plot featuring two dullards.

Its like making Magnolia and focusing all 3 hours on the least interesting characters. This should have been a vignette type film like Magnolia because it was immensely enjoyable when Penn , Waits and Cooper were sharing the screen time. I have no desire to ever watch it again due to the two leads being so uninteresting and that's a shame because its one of his best looking films to date.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvDSl4WB-Q4

Licorice Pizza (Paul Thomas Anderson)

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