If Licorice Pizza isn't already top of your 2022 movies to watch list, then it should be given a serious promotion right about now.
The coming-of-age drama/comedy film, starring Haim's Alana alongside Cooper Hoffman (yes, son of Philip Seymour Hoffman…) and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, The Master, There Will Be Blood) is delighting audiences everywhere.
Positive reviews abound across the board, with the Evening Standard declared it a “sweet treat”, the Guardian called it a “joyously nostalgic coming-of-age tale” and the Financial Times a "blissful freewheel”.
Named after the record shop it's set around (rather than a categorical culinary crime), Licorice Pizza chronicles the friendship-turned-romance between photographer's assistant Alana Kane (played by Alana Haim) and child actor Gary Valentine (played by Cooper Hoffman), who is ten years her junior.
The story is set in the 1970s – so, yes, expect retro fashion, interiors and beauty galore – plus an absolutely killer soundtrack featuring David Bowie, Chuck Berry and The Doors (no exclusive Haim hits were penned for it, sadly!). It takes place in the San Fernando Valley in California, US, where director Anderson has previously set three other films (Magnolia, There Will Be Blood and Inherent Vice).
It was released in the US in November 2021, while it premiered in the UK on New Year's Day 2022 – and it's making one hell of an impact.
The Oscar predictions are already swirling...
Since hitting cinema screens here in the UK, it's clearly got the people's vote too, with a representative from film podcast Academy Queens gushing with praise on Twitter…
X content
Others on the social media platform praised the film's script and acting, dubbing it one of the “best films of 2022” (it was also voted among the top 10 films of the year, by the American Film Institute Awards).
The Power of the Dog and Succession win big.
Alana was particularly celebrated for her acting – pretty impressive given that it's the musician's first-ever film credit (she previously starred as herself in a short documentary film, Documentary Now, which centred around the making of Haim's second studio album, ‘Something To Tell You').
X content
X content
X content
X content
Some, however, had their reservations about the ten year age gap between the two main characters, Gary and Alana – 15 and 25 respectively when the action begins – given the developing romance between them.
X content
Director Paul Thomas Anderson commented directly on this, in an interview with the New York Times. He said: "There’s no line that’s crossed, and there’s nothing but the right intentions. It would surprise me if there was some kind of kerfuffle about it, because there’s not that much there. That’s not the story that we made, in any kind of way. There isn’t a provocative bone in this film’s body."
Despite some people's reservations, the film has proved a favourite among critics and public alike. It has also received four Golden Globe Award nominations – so watch this space, as the result will be announced at the upcoming glitzy ceremony on 9 January this year.
The star-studded cast also features Bradley Cooper and Sean Penn, alongside blues musician Tom Waits.
Oh – and for an added perk, as if you didn't already have enough reasons to watch? The whole Haim family – Alana's sisters slash band members Danielle and Este, plus father Moti and mother Donna – make a cameo as character Alana Kane's family. And you best believe that multi-talented family can act!
Intrigued? You can watch the trailer below… or better yet, nab your cinema tickets now and be part of the conversation about one of 2022's hottest film releases.
Licorice Pizza is currently showing at cinemas across the UK. It is not currently available for streaming.
