Written for the Screen & Directed By Paul Thomas Anderson; Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti.
Inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel, Vineland. One Battle After Another follows Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a washed-up former member of a revolutionary group known as the French 75 who devises explosives. When an evil enemy resurfaces after 16 years, he reunites with his fellow ex-revolutionaries to rescue his daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti), from a corrupt military official (Sean Penn).
This is the latest from Paul Thomas Anderson, the acclaimed Oscar nominated auteur behind such classics as Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread (my favorite of his), and Licorice Pizza. On a production budget ranging from 130,000,000-$175,000,000, this is said to be the most expensive movie he’s ever made. In a way, it kind of shows as One Battle After Another also appears to be his most ambitious project yet.
Right from the opening sequence, you can tell this is going to be such an entertaining ride from start to finish. The film may be over two and a half hours long, but it never feels long at all as the editing by Andy Jurgensen keeps everything very well paced. PTA is known for shooting very wide angles and moving tracking shots. He does so again here with some excellent cinematography by Michael Bauman. Not to mention that the musical score by Jonny Greenwood is so uniquely memorable.
Surprising absolutely no one, Leonardo DiCaprio delivers another powerhouse performance here. Nothing to complain about there as you can always count on him to really bring it to whatever role he’s taking on. Although Sean Penn nails who has the most interesting character in the whole film. On the surface, he does appear to be the villain. But underneath, he’s every bit as sympathetic as our main hero. Thus, they’re only really enemies to each other.
Of everyone else in the supporting cast, who I felt stood out most was Chase Infiniti. The arc her character goes on is the most unpredictable, which definitely left me wanting to know what’s gonna happen to her next. Benicio del Toro is solid as Sergio St. Carlos, a leader of the immigrant community in Baktan Cross. Teyana Taylor is also a highlight as Perfidia Beverly Hills, Willa’s mother and Bob’s partner.
You know how some stories come to us when we really need them? One Battle After Another couldn’t have come at a more relevant time than this one. It literally holds a mirror to pretty much everything that’s going on in the world right now. Paul Thomas Anderson has given us another American classic that’s sure to keep audiences invested throughout. Those are among many reasons why this movie needs to be seen on the big screen.
Rating: 4.5/5
Inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel, Vineland. One Battle After Another follows Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio), a washed-up former member of a revolutionary group known as the French 75 who devises explosives. When an evil enemy resurfaces after 16 years, he reunites with his fellow ex-revolutionaries to rescue his daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti), from a corrupt military official (Sean Penn).
This is the latest from Paul Thomas Anderson, the acclaimed Oscar nominated auteur behind such classics as Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread (my favorite of his), and Licorice Pizza. On a production budget ranging from 130,000,000-$175,000,000, this is said to be the most expensive movie he’s ever made. In a way, it kind of shows as One Battle After Another also appears to be his most ambitious project yet.
Right from the opening sequence, you can tell this is going to be such an entertaining ride from start to finish. The film may be over two and a half hours long, but it never feels long at all as the editing by Andy Jurgensen keeps everything very well paced. PTA is known for shooting very wide angles and moving tracking shots. He does so again here with some excellent cinematography by Michael Bauman. Not to mention that the musical score by Jonny Greenwood is so uniquely memorable.
Surprising absolutely no one, Leonardo DiCaprio delivers another powerhouse performance here. Nothing to complain about there as you can always count on him to really bring it to whatever role he’s taking on. Although Sean Penn nails who has the most interesting character in the whole film. On the surface, he does appear to be the villain. But underneath, he’s every bit as sympathetic as our main hero. Thus, they’re only really enemies to each other.
Of everyone else in the supporting cast, who I felt stood out most was Chase Infiniti. The arc her character goes on is the most unpredictable, which definitely left me wanting to know what’s gonna happen to her next. Benicio del Toro is solid as Sergio St. Carlos, a leader of the immigrant community in Baktan Cross. Teyana Taylor is also a highlight as Perfidia Beverly Hills, Willa’s mother and Bob’s partner.
You know how some stories come to us when we really need them? One Battle After Another couldn’t have come at a more relevant time than this one. It literally holds a mirror to pretty much everything that’s going on in the world right now. Paul Thomas Anderson has given us another American classic that’s sure to keep audiences invested throughout. Those are among many reasons why this movie needs to be seen on the big screen.
Rating: 4.5/5