Films based on social issues are nothing new; they’ve been around for as long as films have. These types of films normally fall into one of two camps: the messaging is blatantly obvious that anyone can understand, and ones where you have to psychoanalyse the director's childhood pet to figure out what the film is trying to say (meaning it’s hard to figure out). This isn’t an indicator of quality, but it does impact how many audience members will understand what you’re going for, especially in this day and age. It's for this reason that I think director Paul Thomas Anderson’s newest film, One Battle After Another, is upfront with its message from the jump and leaves little room for interpretation. But does this come at the cost of a good film? Let’s find out.
Perfida Beverly Hills and Pat Calhoun are members of the far-left extremist group, the French 75. Along with the rest of their comrades, they target various institutions and individuals in their fight against all forms of oppression. On one of their raids, Beverly encounters Steven J. Lockjaw, who develops a masochistic fascination with Beverly. Several months later, Beverly and Pat have a child named Charlene, and the pair's priorities begin to shift. But when one of their own sells the group out, Pat is forced to take Charlene on the run, away from her mother and everyone he’s ever known. Now several years later, and going by Bob and Willa Ferguson, Pat vows to protect his daughter at all costs. But when ghosts from the past resurface, can Pat keep his family safe?
As I mentioned in the introduction, One Battle After Another is not subtle with its messages, and they are most obvious in the plot. This story deals with systemic racism, oppression, family dynamics, and revolutionary vibes. The film, though, doesn’t get bogged down by all of this and is actually able to balance all these different ideas/themes rather well. I hesitate to give any more of the plot away, as the film is best experienced when you know as little as possible. However, I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed this story. One gripe that I had was that some of the pacing was a bit wonky, and some parts felt a little dragged out, and some motivations seemed a bit out of nowhere. But it was still an enjoyable time.
One of the highlights of this film is its cast, which is excellent. Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob is phenomenal in this more comedic role. I’m so used to seeing him in dramatic/serious roles, so to experience a different side of him was a treat. It wasn’t just his performance by himself, as he has fantastic chemistry with the rest of the cast, specifically with Chase Infiniti as his daughter Willa, and Benicio del Toro as Carlos, Willa’s karatedo teacher (that sounds like a made-up martial art). These two put in great performances, and their banter with DiCaprio was some of my favourite parts of the film.
Sean Penn played Lockjaw, and he nailed the unsettling/creepy/fucked in the head vibe that this character needed. Everything from the mannerisms to the speech and everything in between is intended to make you despise the man, and Penn’s performance ensures you do. I also enjoyed Teyana Taylor’s performance as Perfidia, as she displayed another side of activism that isn’t normally touched on in film. I appreciated this different perspective, and combined with Taylor’s performance, it makes for one of the more complex characters in the film.
I also enjoyed all the supporting cast, even if they only showed up for one scene. Every character feels important, and it’s evident that the actors all believed the same. It is refreshing to see every single member of a cast put their all into a film, even if they are just background actor A.
One thing that I wasn’t expecting going into this film was just how gorgeous this film was to look at. This is one of the most technically stunning films I’ve watched this year, and it has given me a new appreciation for this genre of film. The cinematography, especially, was a highlight, with multiple scenes being absolutely fantastic to watch. The running across rooftops, the tracking shot through a protest, and many more all felt so real thanks to the camera getting in close to the action, making you feel like you are part of the film.
What was a slight let down was the lack of any memorable music to accompany these beautifully shot scenes. There was music, but it didn’t add much outside of setting the vibe a bit. There were one or two moments towards the end where this soundtrack had a brief moment of something special, but it wasn’t consistent enough to make a lasting impression. It wasn’t bad, just average compared to the rest of this excellent film.
One Battle After Another is a unique viewing experience that I’ll remember for a while. The story, while overt in its themes and messaging, was engaging for most of its 162-minute runtime. While the end could’ve been shortened, and the music could’ve been a bit more consistent, I still had an enjoyable time with this film, and it has easily jumped into my Top 10 Films of the year.
Have you seen One Battle After Another? What did you think? Is this DiCaprio’s best work? Let us know in the comments where we can talk all things film.
