What I love about Paul Thomas Anderson’s films is how varied and diverse they are – in tone, subject matter – yet they feel distinctly his, in the writing, the filmmaking. One Battle After Another is not his best film, but that doesn’t matter because it’s still very good and one of the year’s best.
Perfidia (Teyana Taylor) believes that revolutions are built through violence – you want to be heard, you make them hear you. They’re freeing migrants from detention facilities, taking down electrical grids, banks and court houses. They call themselves the French 75, and are committed to making a statement and ushering in some measure of change. This is how Perfidia and Pat (Leonardo DiCaprio) become acquainted, but when their relationship is so tangled within the exhilarations of revolution and the violence that accompanies it, it can’t be sustained when things move to become more steady and domestic.
While Pat’s content to play house with Perfidia and their daughter Charlene, Perfidia’s usual confidence is shaken by this change in her life. She can’t handle staying still, so she blows things up. Taylor is amazing. She showcases all sides of Perfidia so effortlessly: her feral grace, her vulnerabilities, and helps us understand her despite her flaws. Her complicated relationships with Pat and Lockjaw (Sean Penn) form the backbone of the film, and her presence is felt even when she isn’t on screen anymore.
In contrast to Taylor’s incendiary performance is Regina Hall’s quiet performance as fellow revolutionary Deandra. Hall is remarkable and makes full use of every single scene she’s in. Her proximity to Perfidia and Pat show us how much she cares about them and their family. Her little moments with baby Charlene help us see how much she loves the child, and how heartbreaking it is later on when she thinks she’s failed her. The tight close-ups of Hall’s face allow us to see the every single emotion Deandra’s feeling. In a film filled with powerful performances, hers is the one I’ll be thinking about for a long while.
After a bank robbery gone wrong, Pat and Charlene are forced to go into hiding and take on fake identities in Baktan Cross. 16 years later, Charlene’s (Chase Infiniti) all grown up and Pat’s all but forgotten his former revolutionary life as he abuses alcohol and drugs on the daily. The second act of the film is where DiCaprio gets to shine and does his best work. As much as One Battle After Another is a propulsive, tense affair, the comedy and humour in the film is also really great. I laughed so hard at Pat’s failed revolutionary shenanigans – whether he’s threatening Comrade Josh or failing to parkour successfully – DiCaprio reminds us why he’s one of Hollywood’s best.
Composer Jonny Greenwood has become a favourite of mine since Phantom Thread, and he’s in fine form here for One Battle After Another. While there’s such elegance in the scores for Phantom Thread and Spencer, the off-beat key work in this film really helps contribute to ramping up the tension, especially when it culminates in that final chase sequence of rolling hills. The camera work is tremendous and it’s scenes like this that remind us why PTA is one of the best directors we have working today.
In a movie with a whole host of great performances, it would be remiss of me not to mention Infiniti and Penn. Chase Infiniti is a movie star name, that’s also what she is. She delivers a passionate, fiery performance, and she does her best work in her scenes with Penn. Penn is absolutely batshit crazy as Lockjaw, a single-minded man driven by his ego and libido. It’s the kind of psychotic, villainous performance I see getting nominated in the Best Supporting Actor category at the Oscars.
One Battle After Another reminds us that while revolutions are chaotic and messy, there’s always the hope that the future generations can take over and do better than we did. Even when the battles feel insurmountable and roll in one after the other, there’s power and meaning in wanting to change the world and make a difference. What’s the time? Simply, it’s time to step up.
REVIEW SCORE: 5/5
