Who ever thinks of action movies and thinks of Paul Thomas Anderson?
Absolutely no one.
Until now.
And who is all in for the ride of a cinematic lifetime? None other than the greatest actor of his generation, Leonardo DiCpario.
But of course, PTA doesn’t go about it in a direct manner. Instead, he finagles and mixes genres to blur the lines and make you forget that he is an icon associated with period pieces instead of the contemporary.
Working in a contemporary setting for a change after such lauded, landmark period films like Licorice Pizza, There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, and more, this film is hard to categorize. And by the end of viewing, one can’t help but think it was intentional.
It represents PTA’s long held desire to make an action film with chases, fights etc, but it also could be called a comedy, an emotional story of the love between father and daughter, a political satire – you name it.
It also brings together Leonardo DiCaprio and Anderson, and all of the hoopla one could expect from such a collaboration. Here, DiCaprio portrays Bob Ferguson, a washed-up, down on his luck revolutionary from a group called French 75. The motley crew of believers have a different vision for America and are willing to fight to bring their vision to life. And then there’s the love story: Bob loves wildchild, chaotic revolutionary Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor), who is still willing to bear arms even while carrying their unborn daughter.
Their archenemy is the villainous Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn), a military man on a mission that gets complicated after being captured by Perfidia and coerced into sexual compromise. It gets Penn’s startling portrayal off to a high and memorable entrance to say the least. But the spirit of French 75 eventually loses its muster, and Perfidia is never going to sign up for stereotypical motherly duties.
Fast forward 16 years, and their daughter, Willa Ferguson (newcomer Chase Infiniti), is living with dad, her mother long gone after turning to witness relief. Bob springs to action after spending inordinate amounts of time watching revolutionary movies when Lockjaw resurfaces and Willa goes MIA. This event forces Bob to muster up all the might he has left in his weary body, and prove a father’s love by bringing her back. But the comedy emerges in this conundrum of a story as Bob attempts to remember his badasssery, but first he has to remember the passwords from his French 75 heydays.
Enter Benicio Del Toro as Willa’s karate teacher, Sensei, who guides Bob through the maze in order to get to Lockjaw and Willa, who is starting to discover her own spirit for the cause. Lockjaw meanwhile is weaponizing Willa against a mysterious group called the Christmas Adventurers Club.
There are a few classic action scenes in cinema that are iconic for a reason. Think Michael Mann with Heat or Tarantino with Kill Bill. PTA attempts to join this illustrious list on his first attempt at action, and he goes balls to the wall in a dynamic car chase sequence towards the end. It’s free of CGI and unnecessary shenanigans. It’s all meat and instantly takes its place near the top of the cinematic canon of iconic car chase scenes.
PTA is revered for his casting choices, and this film is no exception. DiCaprio proves yet again he has an excellent picker when it comes to scripts, and here he gets to show several aspects of what makes him one of the best actors of all time.
Seam Penn is Oscar-worthy too in his role as Lockjaw, incorporating a rigid physicality that is a riot to watch, and somehow allowing us to have some empathy for this guy despite the horrible acts he does. Del Toro is a scene stealer as Sensei, and in her feature film debut, Infiniti really shines here. As does Regina Hall as Deandra, the moral center of French 75 who is back to serve as a protector. Teyana Taylor may have little screen time but it is a star turn as she seers a hole through the screen in an unforgettable performance. The talent of this roster runs even deeper, with Tony Goldwyn exuding cool and confident as a leader of the Christmas Adventurers Club, and all the more terrifying because of it. D.W. Moffett and James Raterman (interrogating high school students in one of the most amusing scenes) also do the most with their screen time.
PTA’s latest release is so singular that it is hard to compare to any of his previous films or even those of other directors. Take it for what it is, and enjoy this celluloid treasure. One Battle After Another defies easy description – by design and on purpose – and it is a sight to behold.
