The Director's Series: P.T. Anderson, No. 3


Throughout 2025 I'm turning my focus to Directors. They help craft the vision on screen that makes a movie work. This year I'm looking at five favorite films from 18 directors I admire and 10 films directed by different women that I have enjoyed. Join me Fridays and Saturdays throughout 2025 as we take this journey.

Licorice Pizza (2021)
Starring: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Bradley Cooper, and Sean Penn
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
About: Here we arrive at the third of Anderson's films on this list. I probably have an unconventional list of films I like from Anderson, but this is one of his more recent. It came out a few years ago, and while it was problematic for some in the story, and I acknowledge that, it was still a film that worked for me. I like Haim and Hoffman here. I like the period setting and the arc of the story. And I really enjoy some of the famous cameos. It's a strange film, but like Inherent Vice, I find it a delight.

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