Movie Review: One Battle After Another
One-liner: While aloof and overlong, this entertaining, edgy and fun multi-genre adventure epic is inventive with sharp performances from a stellar ensemble.
One Battle After Another is an epic action-drama-comedy-thriller from Paul Thomas Anderson, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall and Sean Penn. Starting with fireworks, the film chronicles the zesty romance between Bob and Perfidia in their revolutionary pursuits as they run unchecked and rampant across America, rescuing people from penitentiaries and disabling key government outposts. In this ordeal, a slimey colonel becomes inextricably linked to the couple, nursing what becomes an obsession with Perfidia in a game of cat-and-mouse that finds them at each other’s throats.
The whirlwind romance leads Bob, Perfidia and their child to form a family, which threatens to put the brakes on their revolutionary activities. But Perfidia remains fervent, dedicated to the cause; she bypasses traditional roles as a mother and wife to keep the flag flying high in her pursuit to change the world for the good. As wild and free as the insurgents are, a heist gone wrong eventually leads the military police to capture the ringleaders and bring them to justice.
The film picks up many years later. Their child, Willa, is now a teenager who has managed to find her space, leaning into a dynamic very similar to her mother’s under the guardianship of her father, Bob. For these ex-revolutionaries, things take an unexpected turn when they are forced on the run and must remember all sorts of passwords and protocols related to the movement. They go into hiding when a subversive group discovers that a member may have a skeleton in the closet. A new mission to eradicate all evidence of this indiscretion turns their attention to Bob and his daughter, who become the primary targets of a takedown.
One Battle After Another is a Paul Thomas Anderson film, which means one can expect it not to fit in any single box. This foresight will help you anticipate a genre-bending adventure that infuses an eclectic mix of influences and moods, ranging from the hype of political conspiracy and the suspense of a gritty man-on-the-run thriller to offbeat comedy and the rush of lusty romance.
At almost three hours, Anderson has the time to encompass all these genre elements into one film. While ambitious, the job is made easier by having Leonardo DiCaprio at the helm, delivering one of his best performances in recent years. This is counterbalanced by an equally compelling turn from Sean Penn in a memorable toad-like role as Colonel Lockjaw. While short-lived, Teyana Taylor does wonders as a pace-setter who opens the gates for Chase Infiniti to follow in her footsteps. It’s also wonderful to have the cat-like Benicio Del Toro there to steady the ship, adding nuance and rounding off a solid ensemble.
“Arigato gozaimashita.”
The film is a meandering experience, entertaining thanks to its strong performances, outlandish scenarios and shape-shifting tone. It manages to remain elusive and almost unclassifiable, tipping its hat to ’70s political conspiracy thrillers but making it contemporary with timely themes and social issues. It keeps its story in the crosshairs, which, while timely by virtue of Trump-era government and immigration parallels, serves as a skin to a free-ranging film that parallels Chinatown in many ways.
DiCaprio’s performance is constantly entertaining. In much the same way, Penn walks a tightrope between serious and silly while dealing with contentious issues. The tongue-in-cheek tone comes through in the naming conventions, heightened performances and shadowy organizations that seem to be pulling the strings. The title, One Battle After Another, is possibly a clue to how this free-ranging story unfurls, moving almost as if by association, flowing from one scene into the next.
A curious tone, compelling performances, an original soundtrack, and inventive, unconventional scenes are the glue that pulls this grand adventure together. It is a strangely intoxicating multi-genre mix with fun dialogue that hovers from superfluous to haunting and even quotable. The madcap mix of serious and silly also speaks to the balance between artful expression and commercial appeal.
As a monolithic installation from Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another is made all the more appealing by its fine ensemble, wild-card characters, and unusual tone. While it is somewhat difficult to put a pin in, the film’s commitment to entertainment and its mercurial undertone keep it compelling even if elusive – much like the aim of its characters. Anderson’s soundtracks are just as difficult to classify yet somehow work, giving the film an original quality echoed by the fine balance between authenticity and illusion.
Ultimately, this is a wild ride that remains relentless and laugh-out-loud funny. It delivers heaps of entertainment value and is a spectacle in many ways. One of its few drawbacks is that the film doesn’t do enough to fully invest in its characters, making it seem more observational than emotionally immersive. Watching from a cool distance, the aloof adventure isn’t quite as gripping as one would hope, but it remains entertaining thanks to impassioned performances, spirited dialogue, and far-flung yet grounded scenarios. It is a fun, free-ranging movie that grows on you – a curious hybrid, something of an arthouse blockbuster.
The bottom line: Entertaining
