One Battle After Another

Went to see the movie because of the cast, but the promise, the delivery, and the highly confusing message was disappointing. No coherence anything at all, ended up walking out before the end.

-The movie seems to glorify revolution but "not really" and for no apparent reasons.

Would not recommend.

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.

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.

The film kept my attention and I genuinely enjoyed watching it, but I walked away feeling like something was missing. I'm still not sure why critics are so ecstatic about it - it's a solid piece of work, just not exceptional in the way the reviews suggest. I don't regret the time spent, yet I don't feel any desire to rewatch it either.

I do like a film that drops you in cold. This one drops us at the US/Mexican border with Perfidia (Teyana Taylor) and Pat aka Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio). They're odd-couple revolutionary activists of the vigilante militant persuasion, raiding the border, releasing detainees, blowing stuff up and pointing guns at Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn). This first encounter is just a teaser, quite literally. The sexual tension between the cast is disarming, everyone seems charged and ready. It's got a slick heist movie pace and aesthetic, but with a hefty dose of dark comedic grit, that just keeps getting dirtier. The playfulness is to be short lived. Perfidia is not here for games and her renegade actions soon turn everyone's lives upside down. This could really only be an American story, nowhere else would this level of extreme idolised rhetoric, disfunctional society and sanctioned violence be plausible. It's viscerally emotional stuff and whips along at a frenetic pace, centred around the definition of a bizarre love triangle. But boy does it keep you on your toes! Just when you think you've got the measure of its players and are ready to see which direction they go, Director and Writer Paul Thomas Anderson throws more fuel on the fire. White supremacy, spurned lovers, race wars, hardline conservatism and conspiracy paranoia. It's a snake pit, a story that winds so tight, that when it uncoils, it explodes with a wildly weaving story arc, delivered with sledgehammer subtlety. It's brilliant. I mean it could easily drown under the chaos and weight of its narrative, the dizzying set piece sequences, the stars! DiCaprio is fantastic, Penn is even better, then we meet Sensei Carlos (Benicio Del Toro). Names you'll recognise, but Chase Infiniti (great name) as the young Willa is wonderful. Everyone is nuts, there's not one single likeable character. This would usually be a deal breaker for me. No connection, no empathy, no point. But this works and you know what almost steals all the limelight... a road, a bloody road! True it's the camerawork, the score and the edit that make the finale tick so well, but this is a rare example of a sprawling, wide eyed, dangerously ambitious film, that really lands.