One Battle After Another

One Battle After Another is this year’s first best… everything! Nothing can prepare you for what you get in this film. Paul Thomas Anderson does dark, action, comedy like no other. Memorable characters and a relevant story, it is a reminder of what filmmaking can be. If you have an IMAX theater see it there, if you are lucky enough to have a 70MM option go that route for sure.

Synopsis: When their evil enemy resurfaces after 16 years, a group of ex-revolutionaries reunite to rescue one of their own’s daughter. | 2h 41m | Rated R for pervasive language, violence, sexual content, and drug use

Normally a run time of almost three-hours would be a red flag. And to be honest I went in concerned about all the soda I drank before hand. When it was over I was surprised how fast the time went. I have sat through 90-minute movies that felt longer. Once the story truly kicks in – about 20 minutes in – there is non stop action, comedy, and some of the best camera shots I have seen in a while.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Bob, a paranoid, ex-revolutionary raising his teenaged daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti) in a sanctuary city. He has spent the last 16 years looking over his shoulder, waiting for his past to catch up. His past is in the form of a military Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) who is hell bent on finding Bob and Willa, for reasons that have to be seen to be believed.

To call this a dark comedy seems inappropriate due to the themes, storylines, and heavy issues that play out. But writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson does an amazing job of making it action packed but with enough off the wall moments that it comes across as fantastic if not downright hilarious. At one point I wondered if P.T. Anderson was a long lost brother of Wes Anderson in how the shots were laid out and the dialogue delivered. One reason the time flies by is that the camera seems to never stop moving. It is one elaborately choreographed scene after another.

Sean Penn is as we have never seen him before. That I can recall. He transforms into this racially motivated, closeted militant and becomes a character we will remember always. Fairly newcomer Chase Infiniti is stellar and her performance at the end feels like someone with years more experience. Benicio Del Toro is a scene stealer as Sensei Sergio St. Carlos. He heads up the sanctuary city and is the grounding to Leo’s chaos. Though not in it much Regina Hall and Teyana Taylor are mighty when called upon. This makes for one of the strongest ensemble casts this year.

Any film that is almost three-hours long could do with some trimming. This one even for all its amazing moments could use a bit off the top as well. The good thing is that the scenes do not feel out of place in the moment. As you are watching, everything is there to thrill or amuse. You like what you are getting and want more. Afterwards it is easier to think back and realize that several of those moments actually added zero to the overall plot and character development. They are irrelevant in hindsight but fun in the moment.

The throwback to classic crime films is apparent. There is a car chase scene at the end that begs to be watched on the biggest screen possible. In this day of fast edits and small attention spans scenes like this are rare and appreciated. It is a rollercoaster of adrenaline, and a study in filmmaking technique.

The first 30-minutes is a barrage of action and fast paced dialogue that you will have to focus on to understand. You are a bit unsure what is going on and the motives of the missions this group is undertaking. It is all a springboard into the meat of the film and you get enough to glue it together. I will be interested to watch it again for the parts I overlooked.

It is a strong R for language and violence. When I described it to my wife she said it sounded like a guy film. Maybe I only described that way. The movie is filled with female empowerment and a lot of power to the people moments. It has a lot to say about the need for sanctuary cities, and refugee issues. It is never preachy or heavy handed but the facts do speak for themselves.