Une bataille après l'autre

Granted it's good, and I like most of PTA's films, but it's not like this is anywhere near as brilliant as something like There Will Be Blood or The Master.

The plot is very simple, and while that's not a bad thing, I found it difficult finding anything substantial to grab onto. The performances are certainly good but again it feels like all the actors with the exception of probably Chase Infiniti and maybe Sean Penn aren't given a whole lot to do.

In my opinion this was far less interestingly photographed than something like Phantom Thread, and with less compelling characters than something like The Master, and lacked the spectacle and gravitas of something like There Will Be Blood.

Still better than most films releasing these days, but if you're looking at all the rave reviews like I was and expecting a masterpiece, from my perspective I'd be lowering my expectations.

It gets a 7/10 for being well performed and pretty well written, but I can't go beyond that because it lacked the depth I'd normally be seeking from filmmakers of PTA's caliber.

I saw 'One Battle After Another' last night, and I'm still not sure I get the hype. On paper, the film has everything: social commentary, action, radical politics, immigration, parenthood, even extremism. It tries to juggle so many weighty ideas at once - and I do applaud that - it's ambitious, topical, clearly trying to stir the pot. But ambition alone doesn't make for satisfying cinema, and this one ends up messy.

At nearly three hours long, it's a slog when you still don't really know the people you're meant to care about. Not a single character feels grounded - Benicio del Toro aside (and even then, his screen time is frustratingly short). The rest make decisions that have zero logic in the absence of backstory, leaving them feeling exaggerated and hollow. So many talented actors, yet I wasn't rooting for anyone. The "big message" moments - racism, political division, systemic power, identity - land far too on the nose, skimming the surface without ever cutting deep.

If I'm being fair, one thing I did love was the soundtrack - tense, pulsing, and full of nervous energy, it injects more urgency than the script ever does. But pace and tone overall are uneven. PTA's usual offbeat humour is basically MIA, and without it, long stretches drag and feel oddly dull. The film indulges its own grandeur, with sprawling chases and spectacle, but without clarity or cohesion. Honestly? It's his weakest film yet. It wants to be grand, relevant, provocative - and in parts it succeeds - but just doesn't hold it together. In the end, there's no clear overall message, just a lot of battles, one after another, that feel thrown at you without being stitched into something coherent.

Based on some of Thomas Pynchon's novel "Vineland", P. T. Anderson's movie is amazing in its uncensored satirizing of the right-wing takeover of America. The great acting, especially by Sean Penn in a dynamic role as the heavy (somehow sympathetic without pulling any punches) plus realistic filmmaking is a bold approach to material that is speculative fiction in a dystopian mode.

Of the many highlights, I especially liked the style of an extended sort of chase scene among three cars on a rolling elevation highway -pure cinematic suspense with thrilling photography and editing. The heavy quotient of dark humor throughout is brilliant.

Vive la révolution! In what could arguably be PT Anderson's most ambitious and elaborate work to date, this intriguing combo of tense action movie, political thriller, dark comedy, and unusual coming-of-age saga takes a close look at the French 75, a far-left revolutionary group who takes it upon themselves to right the wrongs and "declare war" on the imperialist state and fascist regime. The group's choice to lead a combative lifestyle will sow the seeds for something much bigger than anticipated when they're ruthlessly pursued by a rabid, high-ranking military official. With verbal snap, suspenseful set pieces, and a prolonged story Anderson certainly has his work cut out for him here, but it moves at a brisk pace, you can never quite tell where the plot is taking you, which is actually part of the enjoyment, and the cast is loaded with heavyweight talent that features (not surprisingly) stellar performances from DiCaprio and Penn, and (perhaps surprisingly) talented newbie Chase Infiniti. ***

The movie "One Battle After Another", in summary, is about a former revolutionary on a mission to save his missing daughter. Directed and co-written by Paul Thomas Anderson, it's a thrilling political action flick that really shows off, once again, his talent for both writing and directing. However, the movie isn't consistent in its construction; at times it's unconvincing, and other times it feels unfocused. More than once, I had the same reaction I did with last year's "Emilia Pérez": a wildly original story that often seems to jump around without much logic, where anything can happen.

The whole movie basically belongs to Sean Penn as Col. Lockjaw. He totally steals the show with a character who's creepy, unhinged, and downright disturbing.

Like "Emilia Pérez", it's one of those stories you're either into from the start or you just don't care about at all.