Une bataille après l'autre

Paul Thomas Anderson's 10th feature film may as well be his most amusing & entertaining one to date. An incendiary adventure that comes brimming with a charged atmosphere, laced with rebellious spirit, packed with relevant themes and bolstered by a potent ensemble, One Battle After Another incorporates much of what's happening in present-day America to tell its tale of defiance & resistance.

Also written by Anderson (Phantom Thread & Licorice Pizza), the story concerns a group of ex-revolutionaries who reunite to rescue the daughter of one of their own when their past nemesis resurfaces. Volatile from the get-go, the film gathers momentum right away while exhibiting an undercurrent of tension & urgency that the picture not only sustains with effortless ease but also sprinkles with hilarious bits along the way.

The technical aspects are sound throughout, be it the steady camerawork, smooth pace, neat editing, interesting score & some expertly choreographed action set pieces. It is also an acting powerhouse, with the entire cast contributing with excellent inputs. Leonardo DiCaprio renders his role with stoned perfection and he's brilliantly supported by Sean Penn's intense showcase, Benicio del Toro's zen act & Chase Infinity's fiery performance.

Overall, One Battle After Another is crafted with controlled aggression, unfolds with a sense of chaos & emergency and delivers a thoroughly fun ride despite its politically & thematically rich layerings. Presenting the esteemed auteur in complete control of his craft and also impressive enough to rank amongst the best all-round films of the year, Anderson's latest feature further affirms his status as one of the preeminent filmmakers of his generation.

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.

Battle after another is a solid film with a lot of strong points. It's generally warm and even has a bit of light raunchiness at the start, yet it keeps you engaged. Leonardo DiCaprio's performance is outstanding-he plays an ordinary guy thrown into tough situations with incredible sincerity and conviction. Benicio Del Toro, though in a smaller role, adds charisma as well. The female characters, unfortunately, feel pretty shallow and lack depth.

The plot is simple but enjoyable, though there are minor logical gaps. The main downside is the antagonists: some feel too overpowered, while others seem weak, and the motives of many minor villains remain unclear. At times, their actions come off as clichéd, which slightly reduces the dramatic tension.

Overall, the film works really well-it's fresh, engaging, and visually impressive. It reminded me of Fargo, both the film and the series. If you like Leonardo DiCaprio or the Coen brothers, this movie is definitely worth watching.

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.