That Licorice Pizza is written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson is probably enough for anyone reading this to look past its terribly unpalatable name to watch it anyway. But just in case you’re one of those hold-outs who unenrolled from the PTA after Inherent Vice, here’s the film’s utterly winning trailer.
Set in the ’70s, the film sees Philip Seymour Hoffman scion Cooper Hoffman grandfathered into the Anderson family alongside returning collaborator Alana Haim (of HAIM). The pair seem to play an on-and-off couple navigating young love amid child stardom and a political election. It’s the feature acting debuts for both, but they’re backed up by a hell of a lot of ringers that Anderson seems to have urged to go big: Bradley Cooper, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, Benny Safdie, Maya Rudolph, and Mary Elizabeth Ellis are in supporting roles seen here, with the likes of John C. Reilly, Christopher Walken, and Ben Stiller also said to turn up.
This first look is probably the best cinematic use of Life on Mars since fellow Anderson’s 2004 The Life Aquatic. The thing feels like some mix of a Linklater and the PTA-adored Lady Bird by way of the director’s own recurring themes and eye for a shot. And it’s pretty striking how candidly, intimately warts-(er, zits)-and-all they went with the styling; if there was much makeup applied, it seems more like they were adding blemishes. All and all, it appears to be a great little addition to Anderson’s ’70s boobs-out filmmaking oeuvre, so it’s a shame we still have to wait until November 26 for Licorice Pizza to hit theaters.
