Movie review: Licorice pizza - a stylish trip with the time machine

Paul Thomas

Anderson is one of the world's foremost filmmakers.

Facts.

Those who are not yet believers can, to see the light, sit in front of masterpieces such as

and

.

!

Even titles with slightly lower ambitions such as

and

(where Adam Sandler for the first time, but not the last, showed that he is so much more than just a cinematic funnel) testify to this peculiar filmmaker's talent.

Epic artifacts and meticulous richness of detail in fine combination.

Humor and a psychological understanding of the human animal's struggle for space and warmth.

Here, PTA is

in a great storytelling mood.

More so than ever before.

Easily accessible, audience-friendly and - excuse the swear word - but… yes, a little thin

But really entertaining.

It's 1973 with the oil crisis, the Vietnam War and corrupt politicians (and horrible hairstyles).

But none of that worries the 15-year-old little fixer Gary, who is completely up in his own world, which basically consists of making money in one way or another - and most importantly getting it together with the ten-year-old Alana.

She is in turn an energetic woman who has not yet really found the bearing in life and who to her own, and also my, surprise still begins to harbor feelings for the annoying precocious teenager.

In the main roles

we see two feature film debutants, the musician Alana Haim (whose music videos PTA usually directs), and Cooper Hoffman, son of the recurring PTA employee Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Both make brilliant life of the script's quick-jawed dialogue, making sure that the characters slowly but surely settle down inside my sternum.

During the more than two hours that the film rolls forward, their relationship waves back and forth;

they make each other jealous in various tricky ways but above all make sure that we are offered a sometimes unbridled fun trip through the then Pasadena / Los Angeles with all that entails of twisted celebrities (Sean Penn styles like the old macho star William Holden, Bradley Cooper is wonderful as Barbara Streisand's boyfriend Jon Peters), funny types, bizarre happenings and of course a cruel soundtrack with Bowie, Doors and other contemporary greats.

A bit like

(jisses, the guy has really made more top movies than anyone else) but without the sex and porn.

Meh, what's left then?

you wonder.

With all rights.

Because it's not so much.

Just a stylish, well-formulated and inspiring trip in the time machine that leaves a grin on my lips when I leave the salon, but on the other hand it disappears quite quickly.

does not end up at the top of the PTA meter, but on the other hand, his minimum level is extremely high.