Hey everyone and welcome to a brand new review! For this one, I am going to be looking at what has been among the buzzier new releases of the year and one that has been getting an insane amount of awards attention. One Battle After Another is the latest feature film from director, Paul Thomas Anderson, and stars Leonardo De Caprio as the lead in what is the former’s most expensive project to date by FAR at a budget of over $130 million. Now I for one am in support in auteurs getting a blank check like that in order to enact their vision and even though I’ve never seen a PTA movie up until this point, I was fascinated to see what he would do with this project given that kind of money. Plus with a talented cast of both veterans and up and comers, as well as some great looking promotional materials that do a good job in selling the film (that second trailer in particular, kicks an insane amount of a**). Now, having finally witnessed the picture, did I find it as good as everyone is saying it is? Let’s jump right in and see how effective this revolution is!
The film starts off by introducing “Ghetto” Pat Calhoun and Perfidia Beverly Hills, who are members of the French-75, a group of revolutionaries who carry out missions in the name of freedom. During one raid on an ICE center, Perfidia ends up getting in the hands of one military officer named Steven J. Lockjaw after humiliating him. Eventually Perfidia and Pat end up growing closer and getting married only for Perfidia having to leave him and their newfound daughter, Willa, after complications arrive after a heist gone wrong, leading Pat to go into hiding as a single father. Cut to sixteen years later and Pat, now known as Bob Ferguson, is a drug addict that is often quite paranoid, having a hard time raising Willa, who is managing everything on her own. However, things become heated when Lockjaw sets out to hunt Willa for personal reasons, leading to her getting on the run and Bob having to do all he can to find her before it’s too late.
Loosely based off of Thomas Pynchon novel, Vineland, it is very clear that Paul Thomas Anderson has much to say regarding the political climate of today and has serious concerns on where society could be headed if we continue to go down the wrong path and has a clear intention in telling it in a way that is very much in line with his sensibilities as a filmmaker. To say he succeeded in juggling everything that he is going for would be a massive understatement. This is an masterfully told story that is able to pack so much, without ever feeling overstuffed or indulgent and is so well paced to the point where it did not come close to feeling like 2 hour and 40 minute runtime. It’s a highly engaging thrill ride that is filled to the brim with non stop tension as we see our characters go on different journeys where the consequences and stakes are personal and grave, leading us to care about the individuals partaking in this and adding to the exciting sequences that are spersed throughout. I think the beginning does a masterful job in giving us a sense of each character and then as the film goes along we get to see new layers unfold in deliberate and very satisfying ways that make one look at them in new lights by the end. I greatly appreciate how upfront the film is regarding it’s messaging and PTA does a powerful job in conveying today’s chaotic political climate.
He has a lot to critique in regards to fascism and how dangerous those with that power can be, while also rejecting their philosophies and going on the side of freedom. I like how this movie portrays the differences between the two ideologies by showing the sense of community and love that those who fight the good fight have compared to the cold and rather heartless way those who believe in a fascist lifestyle tend to do things and how they don’t even tend to value each other as humans. However, he’s also not afraid to showcase how some of the more extreme efforts to achieve freedom (like literal terrorism) may not be the most helpful as shown by how undifferent the status quo is in the 16 year time jump, despite the intentions. The film doesn’t pretend to know that there’s a clear answer to all of this, but instead chooses to hope that the younger generation, who are the future, will carry the fighting spirit and make things better than where their parents left it. All of this, told so compellingly through rich dialogue, thought provoking visuals, and even shockingly hilarious comedy that had me in stitches. I was genuinely surprised by how much great comedic material was mined from the various situations and there are just so many little lines and scenes that will live in my head rent free.
Helping the movie works as well as it does is all of the incredible people who worked on the technical side of things to deliver something truly special on all fronts. Andy Jurgenson is able to do some very impressive work in the editing room, tying everything together in a cohesive way that never feels dull or rushed and the way certain sequences are composed are just so satisfying to watch unfold. Anderson also does a great job in knowing when to place the camera in getting across the emotions of his actor’s faces and their intimacy or distance from one another does a lot to convey the dynamics between them. Visually, this is just a provoking feature with amazing cinematography courtesy of Michael Bauman that excellently captures the vibe of the feature and utilizes lighting so well whether it be in the daytime or night time scenes in order to get some truly cool looking shots with some really neat uses of color that only add to any given scene. Credit to whoever was deciding on what locations to use as well, with there being so many amazing shots of some truly incredible landscapes that are used in scenes in creative ways.
This is especially true of the action scenes, which are spectacular. This isn’t a full on action movie, but the ones we do get showcase just how well PTA can do this sort of stuff as they flow in a way where it feels like one is there and the way we switch from different POVs is extremely effective in adding to that feeling, while also making them so exciting. This is especially true of the car chases with one stand out part involving hills being so unique in regards to show it is filmed and presented and it had me on the edge of my seat. So many great scenes of suspense that can make the simplest of shots get one shaking and shaky cam is perfectly fitted for the more chaotic parts such as Bob running around trying to figure out where he’s going. Serving as a nice cherry on top of this delicious sundae is Jonny Greenwood’s score, which is so dynamic in regards to involving so many different instruments in order to capture a given mood with his piano motifs serving as what is bound to be the tracks most associated with the movie. It does such a great job in being such a unique sounding piece of music that matches with what is a very unique movie.
The main selling point for most general audiences here is getting to see DiCaprio who has consistently proven to be among the few people who get can get butts in seats that translate to solid box office. Personally, I think this may be among my favorite performances of his as like his best roles, there’s a vulnerability present that you don’t see too often from other movie stars. He’s willing to do things that aren’t conventionally attractive and normal for people of his stature and it is one of the many things I admire about him as actor. In this case, he plays a stoner who is easily prone to frustration and pretty much struggles with every single action he takes in the movie to try and save his daughter. DiCaprio is hysterical here, as his delivery of certain lines just makes them sound even funnier with how hard he goes with it with a very long conversation on the phone being an absolute treat in this regard as we see vent out in a way that many may relate to (I can’t imagine how he would react to being put on hold). As comedic as he is here though, he is still able to give Bob so much more. What makes him work as a character is that he does genuinely care for his daughter and wants her to be safe, which not only makes him easy to root for, but also adds a genuine sincerity to the bits when he isn’t able to do something right. As shown in the beginning, he is a firm believer in the right cause and has good moral values, but he has been weathered and lost his passion for the that cause over time, and has also found other important parts of his life. His arc manages to be very interesting to watch unfold as we see him regain that spirit and learn to want to be a better father and person that acknowledges his limits and failures, but can hopefully pass something on to his daughter. It’s an incredibly thoughtful performance that continues to show why he is one of our finest performers working today.
The real heart of the movie though would have to be Chase Infiniti as Willa, who gives in a tremendous break out role that will hopefully bring her more attention. She serves as the film’s moral compass, being the shining light in a cast that is mostly filled with flawed to corrupt characters, and Infiniti conveys the strength she has attained through having to mostly fend for herself through most of her life excellently. However, she also has her moments that show how underneath the tough exterior, she is very scared deep down of what can happen, adding a great deal of sympathy to her, but she never lets that fear overshadow her beliefs and it is quite satisfying seeing how certain things pay off for her. When it comes to some of the other performances there is just so much greatness going on all around. Regina Hall brings a lot to her role as French 75 member, Dendra, who is able portray one of the more level headed members of the group, whose facial expressions convey a lot of subtleties that say a lot when nothing is being said. Teyana Taylor also manages leave an immense impact, despite only being in the beginning, as Perfidia, a wild card of a revolutionary whose passion is clear and strong, even if to say she is a messy and complicated individual would be an understatement. She is both fiery and willing to fight for justice, but can also go to very dark extremes for it, she both loves her husband and daughter, but ends up doing things that put distance between them, and deep down she is seems like she questions her actions constantly and has an immense amount of regret. All of this, Taylor portrays exceptionally, often with little dialogue being stated and her character is an integral part of the story even long after she leaves.
Another stand out for me was Benicio Del Toro as Sensei Sergio St. Carlos, Willa’s fighting instructor, who is also a leader of the undocumented community in Bob and Willa’s hometown of Baktan Cross. After having given one of my favorite lead performances of the year in Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme, Del Toro continues to show how wonderful he is as quite possibly the coolest supporting character of the year. Sergio stands in stark contrast to Bob as calm and collected individual who seems to have found peace a long time ago, and manages to oversee an entire community wide effort to protect and give shelter to immigrants. Del Toro just oozes that sense of being in control every time he is onscreen and his casual responses to Bob’s exaggerated rants are just another reasons the comedy lands as much as it does. He also represents the idea of someone who is able to make a difference in his own way and there is something heartening about seeing him interact with all his fellow townsfolk as they strategize how to best handle things when a threat comes to their hometown. Just adds to the concept of freedom bringing about a sense of community that I mentioned earlier.
On the complete opposite side of the spectrum, we have Lockjaw, who is quite possibly my pick for villain of the year. Sean Penn is sensational here (nice to see him in a big mainstream film after so long), getting all of this man’s mannerisms and expressions down pat to create a truly despicable human being who is just oozing with a feeling of unlikability that is present from the moment he appears on screen. It’s a fascinating case of a character being incredibly nuanced, but the more nuanced he becomes the worse as he is someone who uses his high ranking position in the military to carry out his own personal quests to try and join a club that is equivalent to the KKK instead of actually dealing with real issues affecting the world and he is both a very pathetic and gross person that uses his masculinity as a cover up for his immense sense of clumsiness and a crap ton of insecurities that he refuses to acknowledge, but also very intimidating as someone reckless enough to go to whatever lengths it takes to get what he wants, even if it means killing people to get there. Penn superbly brings him to life and it is almost scary as I could easily see there being people who exists like this in real life. There’s also an immense amount of irony in how this club (amusingly called The Christmas Adventurers Club and with Tony Goldwyn giving a great supporting turn as their leader) doesn’t even seem to care much about him as a person as they are just a group of terrible people with awful beliefs and Anderson has fun portraying them in a way that showcases how absurd they are.
On the whole, I absolutely adored One Battle After Another as it really just knocked my socks off in a way I wasn’t expecting. It is an incredibly exploration of relevant subject matter and themes, goes by with excellent pacing, has a fantastic script, is always interesting, is one of the funniest films I’ve seen this year, is beautifully made, has intense action, the performances are astounding, and the characters are all fully well rounded with so many details thrown into each of them. Fans of Paul Thomas Anderson are likely going to find a lot to love here, but I would honestly recommend anyone see this, as even if your not into it, I can see there being interesting conversations to be had no matter what. I loved every second of this as it truly is a film that reminds me why I love the medium as much as I do. I am so happy that PTA was given the money to make something as incredible as this and I hope that people are willing to give it a chance. It’s a special film that I would consider among the best movies of the 2020s thus far, and will be one I will be re visiting often in the near future. Viva la revolucion indeed!
Rating: A+
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