‘Licorice Pizza’ is definitely a trip

Posted on January 7, 2022

By MARK VIOLA

Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson makes compelling, complicated movies that thrill and challenge his audiences, from the porn-industry-set “Boogie Nights” and the dark, oil-stained “There Will Be Blood” to the drug-infused noir thriller “Inherent Vice” and the toxic romance “Phantom Thread.” And, those are just the films of his I’ve seen.

Anderson’s latest movie, the 1970s era “Licorice Pizza” is by far the most jovial film I’ve seen from him, although in many ways it is no less challenging than his heavier fare. Also, like many of his movies, it is never in a hurry, and we follow the characters as they live their lives at their own pace. However, by the time we finally got to the end of the film’s journey, I couldn’t help but smile and even (internally) let out a little cheer. That’s thanks both to the excellent writing and the phenomenal performances from two first-time actors

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