by Nathaniel R
Paul Thomas Anderson's ninth feature film is almost upon us. As one of America's most singular auteurs that's reason to celebrate whether or not this turns out to be top tier Anderson or his nadir. Licorice Pizza (which went by the equally odd title Soggy Bottom previously) is due to open on November 26th in select cities followed by a nationwide bow around Christmas. The trailer uses "Life on Mars" by David Bowie from 1971 as its primary soundtrack. The presence of hairdresser turned movie producer Jon Peters (Bradley Cooper) in his Barbra Streisand phase places us even more specifically in the mid 1970s during the peak of Bab's movie stardom when practically every film was a smash hit (Peters and Streisand started dating in '73 and he helped produce A Star is Born in 1976) so on the timeline we're sandwiched directly inbetween Anderson's Inherent Vice and Boogie Nights if you want to rewatch his movies chronologically as they take place for kicks.
Let's break down the trailer with our Yes No Maybe So system after the jump...
YES
• Paul Thomas Anderson in the director's chair means we're there period. Even if we haven't loved his recent work as much as his earlier work.
• Bradley Cooper as Jon Peters is ripe with seriocomic or just comic possibility. We suspect it's a small role given his billing (fifth) but Cooper could surely walk away with the movie regardless since Peters was quite a character in Hollywood.
• The cast in general. Maya Rudolph cameo! Or larger part? We keep hoping P.T. will give his brilliant wife a great role one of these films but at least she's in it. Anderson is great with actors so we're especially curious to see what he gives to the always welcome Tom Waits. And since we loved Skyler Gisondo in Booksmart we're hoping he's given good stuff to work with as well though he's only listed as "Actor" in the credits.
• The great Mark Bridges (The Artist, Phantom Thread, News of the World, Joker) on costumes!
• The aspect ratio looks pleasantly very wide screen which is a nice contrast from the Academy ratio which is suddenly in vogue again.
NO
• P.T. Anderson is definitely serving as his own cinematographer now and maybe his own editor here (there's no listing of an editor yet on IMDb) and, generally speaking, it's pretty rare that that's a good idea for a writer/director -- no matter how singular their voice is -- to only have themselves to work with.
• This trailer is giving major Almost Famous vibes -- especially around its slight age difference hetero fantasy romance between a teenage straight boy and a slightly older female free spirit -- and as one of the rare Almost Famous detractors that isn't a compliment.
MAYBE SO
• On the other hand it surely has more than just nostalgic coming-of-age drama on its mind since there's also showbiz stuff as well as a politician running for office (Benny Safdie) within the plot. Will all of this be interesting?
• The few shots of Sean Penn feel like the broadest in the film. Is it from movie sets or...?
• Alana Haim of the band Haim is the female lead. It's her first acting gig. She appears to have good comic timing in the trailer but can she modulate a character arc and so on?
• We always wish Anderson would return to some of his early repertory players but at least John C Reilly is in this one.
• We'll admit we're curious if Cooper Hoffman is gifted like his late father Philip Seymour Hoffman but that seems like an awfully big weight to place on young shoulders and to expect to have an answer from in just one movie.
So are you a Yes No Maybe So?
And if you're a diehard fan of this auteur (as many rightfully are) did this trailer move your personal needle? I am surprised to feel more like a Maybe So on this than I expected to but then I haven't been totally gaga for a P.T. Anderson film since There Will Be Blood (2007). How about you? Care to list? I'd rank his work like so...
- Boogie Nights (1997)
- There Will Be Blood (2007)
-- - Magnolia (1999)
-- - Phantom Thread (2017)
- Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
-- - Hard Eight (1996)
- The Master (2012)
- Inherent Vice (2014)