The only two new movies of the week, Paul Thomas Anderson’s special romantic comedy “Pizza Licorice” and the prequel to the adventurous movie franchise “The King Man: The Beginning” with Ralph Fiennes, will hardly fill the cinematic on New Year’s Day there were almost no tickets left, for a festive period, as tickets showed a new significant drop. With older viewers staying home, “Spider-Man”‘s latest adventure remained at the top of the box office, making it the most-grossing movie of the year, with 350,000 tickets, in three weeks.
Licorice Pizza. 2021 American romantic comedy, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, with Cooper Hoffman, Alana Heim, Sean Penn, Bradley Cooper, John C. Riley, Benny Safdi, Tom Waits and others.
An unusual exuberant postcard from the 70’s, a story of adulthood and slow-moving love between two young people, set in sunny California, by one of the most important directors of his generation, Paul Thomas Anderson, of the important films “Blood Will Be Spilled”. “Magnolia”, “The Master” and “Invisible Thread”.
The story focuses on the romance between an ambitious, business-minded, fifteen-year-old and a restless girl ten years his senior, who steals his heart at first sight. A love that seems unfulfilled, as one comes close and the other moves away, obstacles constantly arise, one throws sparks and the other erases all contact, as the long course of adulthood and love can not be based on youthful innocence.
Anderson did not choose the ’70s just to tell a carefree nostalgic youthful love story, nor the privileged, almost always summery, San Fernando Valley, the city where his story takes place and where he has already shot his “Magnolia” films. “and Crazy Nights”, to once again honor his birthplace. The 1970s are a turning point for America, as the carefreeness of the time and especially of this region is nothing reminiscent of the militant 1960s, when young people sought to change everything, outraged by the Vietnam War and all that. wants the ruling class to impose. We are now at a time when American capitalism seems to be opening its arms to ambitious young people, promising wonderful prosperity, while at the same time individuality is taking over, the mechanisms of greed and the production of money out of nothing are being created. Because apart from the idyllic image of a city that pulsates with life and resonates with beautiful songs of the time, there is also reality. On the one hand, Nixon and on the other, the impending huge oil crisis, which will come to hit the fragile feeling of optimism.
Behind the extended romance, Anderson masterfully unfolds the big picture of America, which is completely surrendered to cynicism and utilitarianism. This is because apart from the carefree life that we see in the full of energy and colorful shots, out of the frame are hidden the dangers and traps for a world that is fierce and ready to devour those who are not useful in the system. A world that today we can hardly understand and the older ones can recognize.
Anderson’s directorial approach is clearly reminiscent of the 1970s, when a new generation of directors still lacked the enthusiasm to bring something new, to try, to break stereotypes. And in addition to some minor weaknesses, Anderson is doing well, with the help of Michael Bowman’s excellent photography, Eddie Jurgessen’s editing, Johnny Greenwood’s music and of course the protagonists’ interpretations. Alana Heim (member of the women’s band) and Cooper Hoffman, son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, who without being the children who shine with their beauty, gain impressions, can easily join the list of revelations of the year, leaving behind even stars Sean Penn and Bradley Cooper, who appear in two characteristic roles, while the passage of Tom Weitz has a symbolic dimension.
IN A FEW WORDS Α Alana and Gary, two anxious young people with diverse interests and different psyches, grow up in the San Fernando Valley, California, in 1973. Gary falls in love with Alana, ten years his senior, but the road is not paved with rose petals …
The King Man: The Beginning (The King’s Man). An American-British Adventure of 2021, directed by Matthew Vaughn, starring Ralph Fiennes, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Gemma Arterton, Stanley Tucci, Matthew Goode, Colin Firth, Charles Duns, Danes Banius, Daniel Daniels .
The satisfying action, with spectacular battle and war scenes, British humor and style, intrigue, graphic villains and a sense of parody of the patriarch of the genre James Bond continues in the universe of the film franchise “Kingsmen”, takes us back to just before World War I and how the infamous secret service was created.
Matthew Vaughn, who loves comics, this time may go to the source of his legend, but he fails to cool us down, as his characters are more paper than ever, his ideas seem to be repeated, the colonial playful look to exhausted, his narrative struggling. The long scenes of battles and episodes can offer fun moments, Rasputin’s existence among the bad guys is a touch of freshness, but in the end the most important support of the film remains Ralph Fiennes and the multi-faceted cast that covers the film’s weaknesses. Anemic characters who are divided into those who have to face evil and the satanic criminals, who always find the opportunity to unfold their gloomy plans, sacrificing millions of people.
So, apart from some spectacular scenes and Ralph Fiennes who is able to beautify even nothing with his presence, the third part of “Kingsmen” is easily classified as fun adventures without demands, a relatively pleasant two hours, which after a while will has been forgotten.
IN A FEW WORDS… Shortly before the outbreak of World War I, when the great powers of the world were waiting for an insignificant occasion to attack each other, an army of the worst tyrants and most capable criminals, among them the famous R the opportunity to launch their own attack. A man, Orlando Oxford, decides to face them …
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
.
