Director Paul Thomas Anderson brings his latest project “One Battle After Another,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn, to the big screen. In traditional fashion, the 11-time Oscar-nominated writer and director explores a world that is visually and narratively distinct from his past projects.
The film centers on Bob — played by DiCaprio — and his daughter Willa — played by Chase Infiniti. After being separated, Ben traverses across rural communities to find his daughter and ensure her safety while government operatives led by Colonel Lockjaw — portrayed by Penn — try to hunt them down.
Unlike his fellow stars from the 90s who are driving Formula 1 cars and piloting jets, DiCaprio demonstrates, in his grimy red flannel and horseshoe mustache, that he is still one of the most compelling lead actors in Hollywood. He balances a believable combination of a paranoid, pot-smoking father with the soul of a prepared, resourceful survivor.
Another standout is Teyana Taylor as Perfidia, the hard-nosed leader of a revolutionary group. Taylor performs a torn person who struggles to choose between making the world a better place or accepting her responsibilities as a mother.
“One Battle After Another” comments on timely topics, like immigration, racism, bigotry and “The Man.” The arcs that these characters go through are not a result of a unanimous antagonist but timeless internal conflicts, like glory, self-doubt, lust, purpose and sacrifice, which create characters that feel flawed and authentic.
The relevant themes are channeled through the government entity that is always on Bob’s tail as he traverses through this world. This allows Anderson to explore how all types of people, from immigrants, students, business owners, protestors and revolutionaries, are affected by anxiety and purposelessness.
Anderson fits this exhilarating story into an ultra-digestible two-hour and 50-minute run-time that uses its nonstop pacing, grounded humor, an excellent musical score and expert camera work to make the film feel twice as short as it is. The cinematography contributes heavily to the realism, with the use of wide shots and minimal cuts during action or chase sequences that make scenes feel like they are from a bystander’s point of view.
The audience may root for Ben and Willa, laugh at Lockjaw and see their own reality in one of the characters. Viewers will be taken out of their everyday conveniences to watch extremely real and relevant emotions of survival, longing for people they love and longing for a better life.
