Star Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Teyana Taylor
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
One Battle After Another Movie Review Synopsis:
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER is the story of a group of ex-revolutionaries facing a vicious enemy. Pat Calhoun (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his girlfriend Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) are a part of a revolutionary group called ‘French 75’ that attempts to violently protest against the US government. While freeing illegal immigrants from a detention centre, Perfidia humiliates the commanding officer, Col. Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn). Lockjaw gets attracted to her and starts stalking the group, especially Perfidia. Soon, Perfidia gives birth to a baby girl and it leads to issues between her and Pat. While escaping from a bank robbery, Perfidia gets arrested. Pat runs away to a ‘sanctuary city’, Baktan Cross, with his daughter, Charlene. They assume the identities of Bob Ferguson and Willa (Chase Infiniti). All is going well in their life until one day, Lockjaw returns. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
One Battle After Another Movie Story Review:
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER is based on the novel ‘Vineland’ by Thomas Pynchon. Paul Thomas Anderson’s story is unconventional. Paul Thomas Anderson’s screenplay is edgy, though a few developments are hard to digest. The dialogues are sharp and full of expletives.
Paul Thomas Anderson’s direction is hatke but still very commercial. He raises a serious topic, and moreover, the film has numerous political undertones. The entire Christmas Adventurers Club track and the questions asked to aspirants is quite astonishing. This and the way Pat, aka Bob, suffers once Lockjaw returns could have turned the film into serious fare, if it had been handled by some other director. But Paul Thomas Anderson peppers the narrative with lots of humour. The scenes where Bob forgets the cryptic password will bring the house down. Another strength of the narrative is that, despite its 162-minute runtime, it doesn’t seem boring or stretched.
On the flipside, the goings-on in some places are bewildering. The actions of Avanti (Eric Schweig) in the pre-climax, for instance, are not entirely believable. The Christmas Adventurers Club office sequence makes for a shocking as well as amusing watch, but it’s not believable that they would go to such lengths for a simple job. Lastly, the limited buzz in India will affect collections.
One Battle After Another Movie Review Performances:
Leonardo DiCaprio exhibits his brilliance yet again. This is unlike any other character he has played before. The way he gets into the skin of the character is something to be seen to be believed, especially in the scene where he’s paranoid. Sean Penn speaks a lot through his body and facial movements. It’s a performance that’s sure to get nominated at the Oscars in the Best Supporting Actor category. Teyana Taylor leaves a tremendous mark in a limited role. Chase Infiniti and Regina Hall (Deandra) lend able support. Eric Schweig, Shayna McHayle (Junglepussy), Paul Grimstad (Howard Sommerville aka Billy Goat), Tony Goldwyn (Virgil; who interviews Lockjaw for Christmas Adventurers Club), Jim Downey (Sandy Irvine), John Hoogenakker (Tim Smith) and Kevin Tighe (Roy More; oldest Christmas Adventurers Club member) do well. Carlos McFarland (Bluto; Willa’s classmate) is hilarious.
One Battle After Another movie music and other technical aspects:
Jonny Greenwood’s music is unusual and sometimes contradicts the happenings on screen. Yet, it seems apt. Michael Bauman’s cinematography is creative, while in the highway scenes, it is very immersive and cinematic. Florencia Martin’s production design and Colleen Atwood’s costumes are appropriate. Andy Jurgensen’s editing is neat.
One Battle After Another Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER is a politically charged yet unexpectedly entertaining ride. The powerhouse performances of Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn could easily put them in the running for Oscar nominations. At the box office, it is likely to perform on the lines of SINNERS and WEAPONS, though competition from KANTARA: A LEGEND – CHAPTER 1 and SUNNY SANSKARI KI TULSI KUMARI next week could dent its momentum. Nevertheless, a strong word of mouth could help it sustain well in the long run.