One Battle After Another, writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s (There Will Be Blood. Magnolia) bold statement on family amid extreme circumstances, is also one of the best films of the year.
Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio) and girlfriend Perfidia (Teyana Taylor) are part of a revolutionary group attacking immigrant detention centers and other targets. When Perfidia and detention commander Captain Lockjaw (Sean Penn) develop an unsavory relationship, the group is exposed, and Bob takes his newly born baby to safety. Sixteen years later Bob and his teen daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti) are pursued by (now Colonel) Lockjaw, who is determined to remove any evidence of an interracial relationship (with Perfidia) in order to qualify for membership to a white supremacist group. When Willa disappears, a desperate Bob enlists the help of a Sensei (Benicio del Toro). His journey will test loyalties and reveal deep secrets that could cost him and his daughter’s lives.
Anderson’s most ambitious work is an epic, outrageous drama that hearkens to current events including detention centers, white supremacy, and military intervention, and yet the prevailing theme of ‘father and daughter’ is central to the film. Essentially one long series of chases, the cast is outstanding with DiCaprio, a standout, playing a paranoid dad and special mention to newcomer Infiniti and veteran del Toro.
This
is the work of a filmmaker at the height of his powers balancing tense scenarios
with moments of humor (including uproarious scenes of DiCaprio trying to
remember his group’s passwords), as he manages to deftly converge the
characters’ narrative arcs. At 161
minutes, this well paced film, shot in the Vistavision format, is constantly engaging, and it deserves
to be experienced on the big screen. Expect multiple Oscar nominations across
the board including Best Picture.
***** of ***** stars
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