licorice pizza, hollywood just loves nonces.

This is one of those films that has the potential to be brilliant, but turns out not-so.

On a positive start, there are mnay things that I loved about this film. The cinematography, framing, shots, they were beautiful. It was a really aesthetically pleasing movie and I loved the way it felt really authentically old. The soundtrack was great. The acting was superb. The story was interesting and well put together and all together fun and flirty and silly and full of nostalgia.

My only issue, and what spoiled the film for me, was the romantic aspect. The two main characters have a precarious age difference that just dioes not sit right with me and made me extremely uncomfortable to watch. The woman, older, is Alana, mid to late 20s. Gary is 15 and progresses in age to around 17 when him and Alana eventually kiss at the film’s pinnacle.

Now I am, not stupid, and I know in the 70s times were different and people would probably not even bat an eye. But the sheer romanticisation of it did not feel right and no one, not in the film or the critics who watched it, seem to think there was any issue with the, and lets call it what it is here, pedophelia.

I even saw a critic say this was reflective of growing up as a woman or something and I was just baffled, I am 19 now and have never looked at a 15 year old with any interest, never mind a 12 year old.

I think if the film had been obviously critical of this behaviour it would have remained great but the glossing over was unpleasant and unsettling. If this was a 27 year old man and a 15 year old girl, everyone would have something to say.

RATING – 7/10

Should I watch? For the aesthetic, yes for sure, if you’re capable of ignoring some noncey behaviour