Licorice Pizza - Speculation & General Reactions

[Jeremy Blackman]

He was kind enough to sign this dvd for us...remember?  https://imgur.com/a/XwkMSYv

Wait, what? I somehow don't remember that...

Let's attach it for posterity:

[md]

Well, this was like 18 years ago I met him, so its understandable.

[Rooty Poots]

Pretty sure that's Bruce Lee and Dirk probably thinks he kicks ass cuz he reputedly did.

He definitely had a Bruce Lee poster. I don't remember if he had any posters of other Asians.

I can see PTA having some anti-Asian stereotypes lodged deep in the recesses of his mind, hidden in one of his blind spots that we as humans all have. It's something I've been thinking about myself for the past couple of days. Outside of Boogie Nights—his best use of a diverse cast so far—people of color primarily exist as someone interesting for white people to interact with; sometimes as an obstacle, sometimes little more than a 'plot point' rather than a fully-fleshed character, and occasionally as a racist caricature (such as Marcy from Magnolia).

I'm not calling PTA a racist—at least not more than any of us—but it's definitely an area I hope he shows growth and improvement in with his next films.

(I'm still more excited to see Licorice Pizza than any other film this year—and so is my Asian husband—and I'm already quite certain I'll adore it, as I have every PTA yet. And this one sounds more up my alley than any of them.)

[Rooty Poots]

He was kind enough to sign this dvd for us...remember?  https://imgur.com/a/XwkMSYv

Wait a minute... why aren't we all taking turns passing this dvd around like the Xixax class hamster it deserves to be? Hmm 

[wilberfan]

Pretty sure that's Bruce Lee and Dirk probably thinks he kicks ass cuz he reputedly did.

He definitely had a Bruce Lee poster. I don't remember if he had any posters of other Asians.

Let's not forget that Dirk knows "Ka-ra-TAE".  Decorated his pornstar bedroom like a dojo.  Threatens Burt the Studio Manager with some cool moves.   Of COURSE it's Bruce Lee in his childhood bedroom!   

[wilberfan]

Viewing #5 of the Pizza.

Arrived an hour early--second in line.   Spoke with a young guy in a black suit who said he was security.  When I gently inquired as to "what kind?", he indicated things like Vax-Checks, oh, and you know, night-vision goggles.Including night-vision goggles... 

Beautiful venue:  Hollywood Legion Theater.

Got carded for the first time.  "And do you have your SAG card with you, sir?"   "Mmm, I sure don't.  Will that be a problem?"  "Well, you're supposed to present it, but....enjoy the show."  (Gulp)

The projectionist (seemed to be House Manager tonight) recognized me from a tour I took TWO years ago when they reopened from an extensive renovation/upgrade. 

First-time 35mm print for me on this one.  Looked gorgeous.  I, personally, couldn't tell the difference from the 70mm's I'd seen before tonight.

Pretty sedate audience compared to 'opening day' two days ago.  Only about 20% of us were laughing-out-loud.  Jerry "Asian-Joke" Frick got laughs (I was dreading an awkward silence), but, as on Opening Day, the first BIG laugh of the evening was for Papa Haim.

For me, #5 played better than #3--but not as good as #4.

Q&A moderated by Justin Chang (NPR, LA Times) [Yes, another Asian], with Alana & Paul.

Hoping to take a break from screenings for awhile (at least until very late December).   Five times in three weeks is a bit much--even for the Wilbz.

Oh, and I got to speak with Alana for a minute before returning (separately) to the Valley... 

[Montclair]

Wow, this movie was so fun and it made me love going to the movies again(I made the mistake of seeing the awful "House of Gucci" the day before) and it made me want to be a teenager again, too! I saw this in NYC and I walked in 15 minutes early to 1970s period specific previews: "Life on Mars" music video, "Aloha Bobby and Rose" trailer, "Yours, Mine and Ours" trailer, "Adam-12" commercial for NBC that also talked about the NBC Thursday movie, ABC Sunday Night Movie commercial advertising the lineup for the year("The Longest Day", "Von Ryan's Express", "Cleopatra", "Day of the Evil Gun", etc), 1970s News clip about gas shortage with a Nixon address to the nation, "Star-Team" toy commercial with 2001: A Space Odyssey theme in it, A Barbie-like doll commercial where the doll has a pinball machine, A "Happy 1974 From Theater Management" clip, "Breezy" trailer, 1970s French music video where the man singing is superimposed into a pinball machine and so is a beautiful dancing girl in hot pants and knee high red patent leather boots and, finally, an animated commercial for "Country Boy Water Beds." These really got you into the mood of the film(and some of these clips would be featured in it as well), followed by trailers for movies coming soon('The Batman", "Red Rocket", "Nightmare Alley," etc). Plus an advertisement for a "Licorice Pizza Mixtape" with films programmed by Paul for the theater, including his own("Boogie Nights", "Inherent Vice") plus "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," "American Graffiti," "Car Wash" and a few others. It really makes you excited to go to the theater.

Okay, now to the actual movie! Seeing this in 70mm really made the start of the film feel like I was watching an actual artifact from the 1970s, in the best way. This started off really strong, with effortless tracking shots that almost had an invisible style(think of the dolly shots from "The Master" and "Inherent Vice") and helped establish how Gary and Alana have instant chemistry. Cooper plays "Gary" as a very confident, optimistic hustler and Alana Haim plays "Alana Kane" as a very moody, bratty 25 year old who I forgot was in her mid twenties and at times felt like she was a teenager herself. The pacing and slice-of-life aspect, plus all of the businesses Gary starts up and leads in his precocious manner seemed like Paul smashed together "Dazed and Confused" and "Rushmore" but in his own way. The needle drops were really nice, with a mixture of songs that you rarely hear and some classics as well. There's a scene where a song by Wings plays and it's a real standout(and is still stuck in my head to this very moment). The period perfect design with the art direction and costumes was flawless and no detail was overlooked. Not a single one. Nobody does period pieces like him. The scope of this film is bigger than the trailer leads you to believe, which was a nice surprise. Also, Benny Safdie doesn't get a lot of screen time, but when he does, his character's story is the most mature and touching moment in the film, which was another surprise. And, in a way, that points to some of the problems with the movie ...

So, I love, love, love "hangout" movies. "Everybody Wants Some" and the aforementioned "Dazed and Confused" are great examples of this(Linklater has perfected them throughout his career). Along with movies like "I Vitelloni", "American Graffiti", "Metropolitan", "Sideways" and all of Eric Rohmer's masterpieces. These are not plot driven films, they're character driven mood pieces and what makes them great is the cast and the director's ability to forego plot for sharp storytelling where the editing lets scenes play out for a while, when need be, and tightly cuts from scene-to-scene, when need be, as well. I like Cooper and Alana, but this was the first PTA film where the acting from the leads wasn't brilliant. In fact, there were many scenes where it sounded like an actor saying lines instead of just inhabiting the character and making you forget you're watching a movie. When they were in scenes with stars making cameos and even the unknown actors, the difference in skill level showed. They simply got upstaged. Also, the first half was paced really well and you're just along for a fun ride from amusing episode-to-episode, but once Bradley Cooper's Jon Peters shows up, it's funny, but this is where the film becomes self indulgent and then scene after scene plays out, seems to go on and on, but leading to nowhere. I like episodic movies, but when the episodes feel a little too long and don't really reveal anything new or interesting about the characters, it feels a little tiring. Benny Safdie and Joseph Cross have a scene towards the end that made me wish the movie starred them, because they were more natural in front of the camera than Cooper and Alana. So, just imagine how it feels when Sean Penn, Bradley Cooper and Harriet Sansom Harris(god I wish she was a bigger part of this movie, she stole the show again) are on the screen. I feel like Paul, for the first time, missed the mark with casting amateurs or unproven talent in the leads(Mark Wahlberg, Jeremy Blackman, Dillon Freasier, Madison Beaty, Katharine Waterston, and Vicky Krieps were all perfect and felt like they WERE the characters). Again, Alana and Cooper weren't mediocre, but they weren't great either. Alana had a few moments but it just felt like Paul let his love for his friends blind him to their limitations.

This movie was like a cameo overdose for film geeks. The Haim family and the Anderson family plus the Spielberg daughters, Jack Nicholson's son and Leonardo DiCaprio's dad really made it feel like I was watching a cinephile version of Family Feud(and I'm sure it made many struggling actors PISSED). I now know which actor played Sam Harpoon plus a familiar voice is dressed up as Frankenstein. Also, there are certain voices you hear that remind you of PTA's 90s movies and Tim Conway Jr has one of those voices. Plus, the up and coming supporting actors were really great, especially Skyler Gisondo and Nate Mann. Also, I have to say, it's refreshing to see a movie full of beautiful young women with natural faces and natural bodies who look like real, healthy people(if I see another actor with fillers and botox in a period piece that takes place 100 years ago or playing a real life character that never had any cosmetic work done, I'm gonna lose it). Interestingly enough, this movie makes several references to Jewishness in a way you rarely see in films or TV shows where being Jewish isn't what the story is about. Not sure if that's tied up in Paul's Freudian motivations for casting the daughter of his art teacher that he had a crush on in the 70s when he was a little kid, then having his late good friend's son play a 15 year old in love with the 25(or older?) character played by said daughter who looks just like her mom, or ... what? But, it was interesting. Also, the movie is clearly making fun of the idiot white guy with Yellow Fever who speaks English in an exaggerated "Asian" accent to the Japanese women in the story. It's not making fun of Asians and anyone who says it is, just wants to be offended so they can cheat their way to a Bronze medal in the Oppression Olympics. Now, as far as the age gap goes, I'll just say, there's a clear double standard at play when it comes to boys, something many of us probably already knew. If the genders were reversed, this movie doesn't get greenlit, at least not for more than a production budget of $5 million. I'll steer clear of spoilers, but when you see it, you can make up your own minds about what does or doesn't count as "innocent." Also, Alana's character being in her mid 20s and hanging out with and being possessive of a 15 year old isn't really explored, it just happens. I feel like that was a missed opportunity to write a really authentic female character.

All in all, though, this was a film I'd recommend for everybody to go out and see, especially if you're a fan of Paul's work. He went back to anamorphic and the 70s, but this didn't feel like a retread of "Boogie Nights" or even his style in "Magnolia." This is very much his own evolved style that he used to make his version of the hangout movies he loved. This was funny and sweet but surprisingly un-challenging for a PTA movie. What I love is when great movies leave you with a lot of questions to ponder after you see them and "There Will Be Blood", "The Master" and even "Phantom Thread" did that. This one was uncomplicated and felt like a light workout for Paul, in comparison to his other films, even "Punch Drunk Love", which was shorter but a lot more eccentric and much tighter, storytelling wise. But, Paul Thomas Anderson doing a light workout is still better than almost every other living director at the top of their game. It amazes me that the same filmmaker who did this, also made "Phantom Thread" a few years ago! That says a lot about his skill and integrity. But, there was some filler that should have been cut out(I wish Dylan Tichenor or someone like Jennifer Lame edited this) and the leads should've been actors who were much better at disappearing into the characters. "Lady Bird" isn't as artistic as this and doesn't have anywhere near the cinematography or attention to detail in production design, costumes and hair and makeup(seriously, I really felt like I was in 1973-74 via a time machine) but the performances from the young leads and the editing,(especially the editing)are much better. But, make no mistake, this was a really good movie and I can't wait to see it again. It made me want to visit the valley and run to the love of my life. If you can see it projected on film, you owe it to yourself to do so.




My Rankings:

There Will Be Blood
Boogie Nights
The Master
Phantom Thread
Punch Drunk Love
Magnolia
Inherent Vice
Licorice Pizza
Sydney

[wilberfan]

I'd pay to see the pre-show you described!

[Alethia]

Must have been at the Alamo.

Also, the more I see this

Spoiler: ShowHide

The more I'm convinced Alana isn't even 25

[pynchonikon]

[HACKANUT]

Must have been at the Alamo.

Also, the more I see this

Spoiler: ShowHide

The more I'm convinced Alana isn't even 25

Can you elaborate on that without spoilers? Is she just that immature?

[wilberfan]

More sweet swag.

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[Alethia]

Must have been at the Alamo.

Also, the more I see this

Spoiler: ShowHide

The more I'm convinced Alana isn't even 25

Can you elaborate on that without spoilers? Is she just that immature?

Eh I'd have to get rather specific. Happy to do so if you want to risk it.

[Jeremy Blackman]

Just nest it in 3 levels of spoiler tags.

[Pringle]

Must have been at the Alamo.

Also, the more I see this

Spoiler: ShowHide

The more I'm convinced Alana isn't even 25

Can you elaborate on that without spoilers? Is she just that immature?

Eh I'd have to get rather specific. Happy to do so if you want to risk it.

Spoiler: ShowHide

One thing that stood out to me is that her friends that she sees and seemingly went to school with are also hanging out with Gary and they look for sure younger than 28.

But then there's a conversation with another character she has on the phone that seems to hint at a romantic past, and that character looks to be in their 30s.