Film Review: One Battle After Another

Life-affirming Paul Thomas Anderson has been nominated for numerous awards but he very rarely wins, which is a shame if you’ve seen his filmography. Anderson has crafted some truly cinematic experiences such as Boogie Nights, The Master, There Will Be Blood and many more. It is always exciting when he has a new movie coming along and as you would expect it comes just in time for some awards consideration for the next film awards season. His latest film is quite possibly his most commercial and accessible film yet, as well as a very timely, political and modern film. The film in question is One Battle After Another.

The film is about a group of revolutionaries who take on the American establishment. Leonardo DiCarpio plays Bob and Teyana Taylor plays Perfidia. The two of them are in a relationship and Perfidia ends up getting pregnant, roughly around the same time as she has a secret meet-up with a corrupt military official played by Sean Penn. As the film fast forwards to present day, Colonel Lockjaw is tasked with hunting down Bob and the now grown-up daughter, Willa, played by Chase Infiniti. The cast is absolutely amazing. Sean Penn delivers a masterful performance as the horrid, corrupt figure of Lockjaw. DiCaprio has that earnestness as Willa’s father but Chase Infiniti really holds her own against everyone else.

The film does take a little while before the story starts to kick-in but the exposition and character establishing just adds to the depth of the film. The relevance of how America is portrayed in the film is eerily parallel to America today. It is very topical, but that doesn’t seem to be intention of the cast and filmmakers. The film is adapted from a book but it has a lot of elements that keep this film version more accessible and distinctive. There is a lot going on in the film as well with Benicio Del Toro playing a key character half-way through the film and he adds some humour and light-heartedness to the overall narrative which is much needed. All of these elements are glued together to create something that hopefully gets recognised come awards season.

The film looks amazing as well with some very standard and cliché looking American scenery and moments near the Mexican border. Saying that, Anderson understands cinematography and how that works and there are a few moments in the film that truly does stand out. There is a lot of symmetry with Taylor’s character and Infiniti’s character as mother and daughter. Considering they never share the screen together the film is shot in a way that mirrors just how similar these two really are which highlights the whole nature of what sort of person they are. The ending is tense, gripping and unpredictable but wholly entertaining as well. The final car chase felt different from other films and the music rises and rises and we are treated to a very satisfying conclusion. Overall, the film manages to be entertaining enough to be enjoyed by most audiences.

★★★★★

5/5

Final Verdict:

One Battle After Another may take a little time for the story to get fully set-up, but when it does it has some real good fun telling it. All of the characters are all brought to life in fun and creative ways. Sean Penn is a real stand-out in the film with Benicio Del Toro providing some light-hearted humour but the film is essentially Chase Infiniti’s as the character of Willa. Paul Thomas Anderson has his signature touch throughout the film and he crafts some truly memorable moments. The film is a very modern look at America and the problem with power and also with racial tensions. The ending is extremely satisfying and wraps up this parable in a nice little bow. This is one film that could end up being talked about for years to come.

Thanks for reading today’s blog!

Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions