Critique of: Film Review: “Licorice Pizza”
Written by Fabian Garcia
Published November 28, 2021 in The Guardian
Spoilers
I have nothing to critique about Fabian Garcia’s description of the aesthetic beauty of the film, it shines through as one of the best aspects. I also do not take issue with his style or the readability of the article, both are clear and easy to understand. I do, however, disagree with both his rating of the film and his interpretation of the core story which is explored within it.
“Licorice Pizza” should not be viewed as a love story between Alana Kane (Alana Haim) and Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman). Instead, it is a story of maturity. Specifically, the differences in maturity between Alana and Gary. Their relationship is shallow when viewed through the lens of romance, and only becomes fleshed out when viewed as the interaction of their different but compounding outlooks on the world.
Gary is an overzealous, passionate, and accomplished actor. He dreams of and creates various business ventures. Alana could not be situated in a more contrasting situation. She works at a yearbook photo company, feels lost in the world, and has no tangible direction to her life.
The meeting of the two brings something desperately needed for each of the characters. For Gary, Alana brings the illusion of a romantic partner, something he can strive to reach while he attempts to succeed in his various endeavors. For Alana, Gary simply is someone she can connect with – in the first scene, the sexual harassment she endures at her job starkly contrasts with the melodramatic speech Gary gives to her. Alana needs to be needed, Gary makes her feel important. To be blunt, Alana feels like a loser, and Gary helps relieve her of that feeling. Her immaturity shines through when she pokes fun at Gary for attempting to start a Pinball business and is rebuffed. Gary’s harsh words ring true, without him, she would still be taking photos with the yearbook company. She doesn’t believe he can achieve his lofty goals, and when he – at least momentarily – demonstrates he does not need her to accomplish them, she is devastated.
Gary’s infatuation with Alana is childish, yet the rest of his persona is not. He is too mature for his age, he creates multiple businesses, and is seemingly well-off due to his bit-pieces in movies and commercials.
In this regard, the characters’ perception of the world and each other is more important than any romantic happenings. Even when they finally do kiss at the end, to view it through a purely romantic lens would give a false impression of its significance. Through this viewpoint, it is a triumph for Gary, as he achieves what he set out to do, and a cute wrap-up to the story. But this would be to miss the point; the ending isn’t entirely happy. The corrupt Hollywood system has chewed up Alana and spat her out. She can only find solace with Gary, who is only in high school. When viewed from a more removed, complex viewpoint, you are left feeling somewhat awkward, like Hoffman at the end of “The Graduate” (Not to mention the inherent discomfort of Alana kissing a 15-year-old).
Regarding the rating, I would give this film a B. This film pales in comparison to PTA’s other work. Alana’s character is obnoxious and annoying, overcompensating for her obvious lack of confidence through loud outbursts. Alana Haim’s performance shines in these outbursts, but her character borders on unlikability. She is not nuanced enough to outweigh the pretentious outbursts and garner sympathy from the audience. All in all, the film seems to be less than the sum of its parts, and there are certain shots which should be commended (such as the main characters silhouetted on the water bed, which was beautiful), but it doesn’t achieve anything higher than an accurate period piece with a slight criticism of Hollywood culture. PTA set out his goals, and he accomplished them, but it would be silly to give higher praise than that.
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