I am a big fan of Paul Thomas Anderson and I really liked Licorice Pizza. Not his best, it was definitely a lighter touch for PTA. Not as intense as most of his movies. Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim are pretty good actors for no experience.
Its not my favorite PTA movie, which is still Magnolia, by far. It was not as intense and there wasn't the feeling of impending doom. I know some people will freak at the idea of a 15 year old boy and 25 year old girl falling for each other, but he is far more mature than at typical 15 year old and she is still like a high school kid, living at home with her parents and sisters (her entire real life Haim family) so I kind of get it. If they were 22 and 32 nobody would care.
Couple of things. They did use some real names, like Jon Peters, Barbara Streisand's boyfriend in the 70s and from the things I've read about him, Bradley Cooper's creepy and obnoxious performance was accurate. Peters two-scene performance is similar to Alfred Molina's movie-stealing scene in Boogie Nights, just not as intense. Peters is still alive, I wonder what he things of it - because it ain't flattering, but it was strangely funny.
Also, I never knew this, but pinball was banned in parts of California from 1939-1974. Seems silly, but I guess people gambled on it and the mob got in on it and rigged pinball machines........LOL.