One Battle After Another
One Battle After Another
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Chase Infiniti
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Pat Calhoun (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) are members of the far-left leaning terrorists known as the French 75 who's aim is to break out detained illegal immigrants under the watchful eye of corrupt Colonel Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn). While Perfidia is confident and calculated, Pat is more aloof and unassuming, and when the couple give birth to a daughter, Pat is content with staying with the child while Perfidia continues the revolution. When she's captured by Lockjaw, she manages to escape and flee to Mexico while Lockjaw begins tracking down her associates, including Pat and their daughter, forcing them into hiding.
Sixteen years later, Pat - now going by Bob Ferguson - is a drug addicted alcoholic living off the grid in a paranoid state with his daughter Charlene - now going by Willa Ferguson (Chase Infiniti) - who's as free-spirited as her mother. When Lockjaw tracks them down, Bob turns to Willa's Karatedo teacher Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio del Toro) to save his daughter - even though he doesn't remember most of the code words he's supposed to.
What deterred me from seeing the movie was the 162 minute runtime, thinking foolishly I couldn't be entertained throughout such a long movie. I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong, and I was definitely wrong here. The movie moves at such a fast pace that the opening scene itself would be found at the end of any self-respecting action movie, and never lets up from there. The movie can simply be described as a modern tale, but it's a story that's as old as time - rebellion, going against the status quo, and sticking up for the little guy. In today's heated political climate, Anderson could've been forgiven if he had written a self-indulgent story about struggling migrants and the quest to save them, but instead he gives a deep family drama that's mixed with the power of rebellion and sticking it to the man in a darkly humorous way that never feels forced or overplayed.
Giving a voice to the marginalized, "One Battle After Another" centers on a group of terrorists who's only aim is to protect illegal immigrants and fight against the hierarchy who's sole goal is to diminish anyone who doesn't look and act like them. Though their methods are extreme, their point is valid, and it's hard not to root for them (well, depending of what side of the aisle you adhere to). Yet the movie goes even deeper than that, as a group of all-white men set out to achieve the perfect utopia (you can guess what that entails), as well as a humorous bumbling father who just wants to do right by his daughter, who herself has grown into a fierce warrior for the cause.
The momentum of the movie is calculated by its opening sequence, when Perfidia and company set out to free illegal immigrants by sexually humiliating the hard-nosed Colonel Lockjaw, sending the man into a sexual spiral and eventual obsession over Perfidia herself. Cinematographer Michael Bauman has a flair all his own that's imbued in every scene, and Jonny Greenwood's music score only amplifies that to greater heights. The movie is more intense and white-knuckle than I was expecting, with numerous moments where I was caught on the edge of my seat, most notably an intense car chase through the desert where the camera moves from the character's faces to the car's front end point of view that makes you feel like you're on a grounded roller coaster.
The movie jumps sixteen years where Perfidia is gone, and Willa is picking up her mantle as a hardened fighter all her own, even though she doesn't know yet what she's fighting for. She's confined under Bob's watchful eye, while taking Karatedo lessons and fighting for herself. When Lockjaw returns with a vengeance, Bob must find a way to save his daughter, but it's been years since he's been in the game and it shows. While many directors would've turned these two concepts into two movies, Anderson blends them both together effortlessly, earning its runtime and then some.
There's so many strengths the film possesses and I can't honestly think of a negative. The performances across the board are all Oscar worthy. Leonardo DiCaprio shines as the bumbling alcoholic father who's angry he can't remember what time it is, and continues to bumble his way around from scene to scene is the movie's numerous laugh-out-loud moments. Though brief, both Regina Hall (again, kudos for her for stepping out of her "Scary Movie" phase and tackling more hard-hitting material) and Teyana Taylor give exemplary performances. Benicio del Toro is unforgettable as the lovable and self-assured Sergio, and I'm literally shocked this is Chase Infiniti's first theatrical performance. She stole the show as Willa, giving the character a depth of character unseen in even acclaimed actors, a self-assurance that emanates from her very essence. Yet Sean Penn is the one truly worthy of an Oscar, giving his best performance in years as the hardened, hate-filled, racist Lockjaw who's the American version of Christoph Waltz's Hans Landa from "Inglorious Basterds." He's evil personified, and could've fallen into the trap of stereotype but Penn knew the assignment and more than aced it.
In a time where almost every movie feels like it has to be over two hours, "One Battle After Another" shows that some movies demand it, and while it could detract you from seeing it, this is one of those important movies to see and talk about due to the nature, performances, and stunning cinematography that comes with it.
The Score: A+
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