Review 758: One Battle After Another

One Battle After Another is so completely out of character for a Paul Thomas Anderson film. Watching this film is like Robert Altman coming out of the lake and machine gunning a fluffy kitten for fun.

This film starts and it literally never stops, it is relentlessly paced for a film with a running time of 162 minutes. 

The film is said to be inspired by novel Vineyard by Thomas Pynchon, who also penned Inherent Vice. I won't say that this is a direct adaptation of the novel but  The Story: Washed up revolutionary Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio) exists in a state of stoned paranoia, surviving off the grid with his spirited, self-reliant daughter, Willa (Apple TV+'s Chase Infiniti). When his evil nemesis, Col. Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn) resurfaces after 16 years and she goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her, with father and daughter both battling the consequences of his past.

The film takes place in an America where Immigration is outlawed which feels appropriate and timely considering the times that we live in, this is sure to hit audiences in a profound way. One Battle After Another is a film about what happens when revolutionaries collapse on themselves Even though its not readily apparent, the French 75 sow the seeds for their own downfall 

The film does ponder some pretty deep  about overcoming generational miscommunications: Is there any hope for the younger generation which is what Willa represents. Have things become so irrevocably bad and hopeless that there's no longer a reason to go on fighting for a better tomorrow. The older generation may fail, but hopefully, Willa's generation will not. 

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This is also a film about rejecting Selfish Stagnation: Again and again, we see Bob struggle to get back into the role of the Revolutionary he was at the start. He can't seem to do anything right,  has to lean on Benicio del Toro's Sergio  Bob doesn't feel like the revolution is his fight, he's a supporter, not a leader. 

Anderson does a spectacular job excellently utilising pans and tracking shots to immerse us in the experience and make us feel like we've in there with the revolutionaries. There's an almost Tarantino-esque style that can be felt throughout the  The cinematography is gorgeous, using VistaVision cameras to give a deep and rich image that helps to enhance the films world building and gives a texture and a grit that helps intensify the experience. The scenery is breathtaking, the landscapes, the overhead shots of the buildings  the production design is splendid, even though this film has a contemporary setting; the aesthetic of the French 75 feels very rooted in the 70s  The score by Johnny Greenwood is 

With a runtime of 165 minutes, One Battle After Another is relentlessly paced to the point of overwhelming exhaustion; there's really not a single point where you can take a breath. I found it to be an exhausting experience but in this case, that's not a bad thing. 

Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a powerhouse performance playing Bob Ferguson.  For Bob, the revolution is a righteous, something he believes in with a moral clarity 16 years have not been kind to Bob because during that time living in hiding, he's regressed and become complacent, reducing himself to a paranoid drug addict. He's definitely not an intrinsically likeable character; he's a screw up  This guy just can't seem to catch a break.

Sean Penn is outstanding in this film and an excellent villain. The character of Steve Lockjaw is such a hatable, unpleasant character. Someone who is hellbent on hunting down the French 75 and keeping them on the Blackfoot a

Teyana Taylor whom you may recognise for her music is  Perfidia Beverly Hills, Bob's partner both in crime and in love. Perfidia is relentless in her will to survive as we clearly see in the opening action scenes where she outruns the authorities. She's also not afraid to use her sexually to get what she wants. Perfidia is a very complex character who does many things that the audience will perceive as selfish but she's fundamentally a survivor. Her relationship with Col. Lockjaw is a fantastic aspect of this film and the two actors did excellent work showcasing how destructive the relationship  Perfidia knows that he's a ass but she does it for thrills and what better way to give yourself a thrill than manipulate the person who wants to kill you given the chance.

Chase Infiniti from Apple TV+'s Presumed Innocent is a true find playing Bob's daughter Willa. She has a fiery spirit in her  The father/daughter relationship between Bob & Willa is the emotional core of the film with Bob trying to do right by her and 

Regina Hall does some of her best work here playing Deandra, a member of the French 75. No longer Brenda Meeks from the schloky Scary Movie films, she is a dedicated member of the revolution; the anchor of the group and its purest member. She takes Willa under her wing 

Benicio del Toro (fresh off of The Phoenician Scheme) is also excellent playing Sergeio St. Carlos,  over the course of what is basically a chase movie, Carlos becomes Bob's closest confidant