Midday. Paul Thomas Anderson has been up 10 minutes and he’s “fucking exhausted”. He’s been in London for three days now and has, he confesses, been “burning the candle at both ends”, doing Bafta Q&As for his new feature Licorice Pizza in the evenings, then using the days and nights to catch up with the many friends he made in the city while shooting his previous picture, Phantom Thread. Peeling the wrapper off an energy bar while seating himself down in an armchair at the Covent Garden Hotel, he adjusts his round, tortoiseshell spectacles and starts chomping hungrily. Around mouthfuls, he explains how he’s met the babies of a few of his London-based pals for the first time, having not had the chance to travel until now because of the pandemic.
He is, clearly, something of a softie. And also, Total Film suggests, an incurable romantic – after Doc’s sweet love for Shasta Fay in Inherent Vice and the twisted-but-meaningful romance between Reynolds Woodcock and Alma in Phantom Thread, he’s now, with Licorice Pizza, fashioned a blossoming (chaste) relationship between 15-year-old child actor-turned-hustling businessman Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) and 25-year-old photographer’s assistant Alana Kane (Alana Haim). So is it true? Is the man known for making heavyweight dramas wrapped around volcanic performances really just a sweetie?
This story is from the January 2022 edition of Total Film.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 2022 edition of Total Film.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Dune: Part Two – Desert Power
Like a colossal sandworm racing towards the rhythmic beat of a thumper, Dune: Part Two is almost upon us. And this time, it's war. Total Film returns to Arrakis with writer/director Denis Villeneuve and his (inter) stellar cast to spill the spice on the sci-fi event of the year.
Here Be Dragons
DAMSEL – Millie Bobby Brown fights fire with fire in the bedtime story that’s finally being told the right way.
Back to School
MONSTER – Hirokazu Kore-eda’s latest takes us into a child’s viewpoint once again...
JESSIE BUCKLEY
Catapulting to fame over the last five years, instinctive Irish actor Jessie Buckley has wowed in films (Wild Rose, I'm Thinking of Ending Things, Men) and TV (Chernobyl, Fargo S4). She was Oscar-nominated for The Lost Daughter, won a Laurence Olivier award for Cabaret and now she's spewing wild profanities at Olivia Colman in hilarious period comedy Wicked Little Letters.....
Marty me
Thelma Schoonmaker has edited every Martin Scorsese movie since 1980's Raging Bull. The three-time Oscar winner tells Total Film all about their legendary relationship, and why movies like Good Fellas, The Departed and Killers of the Flower Moon are a cut above...
FRISKY BUSINESS
Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan star as queer friends being chased by dumb male criminals in Drive-Away Dolls, a road movie/ romantic comedy/crime caper by husband-and-wife team Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke. Total Film hitches a ride with the directors and stars to talk dark laughs, dim crims and dildos…
JACK MY LIFE IN PICTURES BLACK
Over the years he's made us laugh as rockers, animated critters and videogame avatars. As he prepares to go full Dragon Warrior again in the fourth Kung Fu Panda movie, JACK BLACK riffs on some of his biggest hits with Total Film
DOG DAYS
Pablo Berger's animated silent’ movie brings the noise.
BEHIND PARADISE
RED ISLAND A coming-of-age-tale that creatively explores France’s colonial past.
THE SIXTH SENSE
MADAME WEB Dakota Johnson brings wit and grit to Sony’s clairvoyant-superhero-origin-story thriller.
