This coming-of-age film from director Paul Thomas Anderson is a sweet and wonderful love story set in the San Fernando Valley during the early 1970s. Paul Thomas Anderson captures the era perfectly through his direction, screenplay, and the fantastic soundtrack featuring David Bowie, Paul McCartney and Wings, and The Doors. Cooper Hoffman, the son of the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Alana Haim, a member of the independent band Haim, give fantastic breakthrough performances as two main characters. Haim and Hoffman's chemistry for each other is sweet, touching, and relatable, which helps them come off as a likable duo and a duo that we want to see become a couple by the end of the film. Along the way, Haim and Cooper come across an exciting cast of characters all played by great actors giving great performances, including Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Bradley Cooper, and Benny Safdie. "Licorice Pizza" is Paul Thomas Anderson's love letter to California in the early 1970s. This unique film makes you realize why we all come together to escape from all the bad things happening in the world and find happiness by going to the movies. Thanks to Paul Thomas Anderson's beautiful direction and incredible lead performances from Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman, "Licorice Pizza" is one of the best films of the year and Paul Thomas Anderson's best film since 2007's "There Will Be Blood."
This review makes me want to see this movie. Great job.