LICORICE PIZZA COMEDY ROMANCE

Licorice Pizza is the story of Alana Kane and Gary Valentine growing up, running around and falling in love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973. Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the film traces first love between a grinningly fast-talking 15-yearold boy and a bored 25-year-old woman who works as assistant to a photographer taking pictures for the high-school yearbook. She is as amused, intrigued and slightly depressed when this kid starts hitting on her, and she realises that she is somehow interested in him.

The love between Gary and Alana does not run smooth. Alana breaks Gary’s heart by holding hands with another child hardly older than he is then Gary infuriates Alana by hitting on a girl his own age. Alana retaliates by flirting with ageing movie star Jack Holden (Sean Penn). Tom Waits and Bradley Cooper also play brilliant cameo roles.

It is the setting California in 1970S that makes this film the most relaxing and funny of Andersons film yet. The characters run very fast, drive very fast to places where they drink large amounts of alcohol. This film is sunny and light and very funny.

In Cinemas now - Starring Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffmann, Ben Safdie, Bradley Cooper, Sean Penn and Tom Waits.