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Licorice Pizza
Even though this is currently my least favorite PTA film, it’s not bad by any means. I think knowing it got a Best Picture nomination kind of raised my expectations a little too high. But I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a really nice coming-of-age (based on your perspective) romance that captures youth and love in the same way that ‘Young Hearts’ or ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ does. I’ll get my biggest complaint out of the way, then do the positive stuff. I think the second act kind of lost me. Not that it was confusing, or boring, I just felt like I kind of got pulled out of the moment. It dragged on a little too long. However, the first and third act are really strong bookends. I love the story, which is all about independence, having fun, and doing whatever the heck you want to. It’s such a carefree time where the characters can just live life. I think the writing is a little weaker compared to other PTA films like ‘Magnolia’ or ‘There Will Be Blood’. While this could be considered a character(s) study, I didn’t feel as much depth. It’s still there, just not as prominent to me. On the flipside, I liked how you don’t have to analyze anything. You can just kick back and enjoy the happy-go-lucky Gary and the more mature Alana. The performances from Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim are really strong, unsurprisingly. Even though Coop is only in a few films, I absolutely adore him, and I’m going on record saying he’s the future of artistic films. Especially if he can keep working with PTA, or other notable directors. It was also cool to see Bradley Cooper, who can do no wrong. Visually, the film is very good at recreating a 70s feel, with some breathtakingly beautiful shots. Most of this film you could frame on a wall. Lastly, the score and soundtrack was jam packed with so much emotion and great hits. Overall, this film was nice and gorgeous, though it’s my least favorite of PTA’s. But don’t let that turn you off, it’s still great. I’d recommend it to most romance/comedy fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!
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