Aaron Ploof
P.T. Anderson filmed Magnolia, my favorite movie of all time, so seeing One Battle After Another was a non-option for me. In short, this new film from one of the greatest directors of our time impresses in every way possible. It speaks to our current political climate by making clear just what kind of a road we may be on. On top of that, it nails entertainment in a way few films do, offering tense roller coaster excitement along with hilarious comedic relief. One Battle After Another hits all the right notes, but due to its subject matter, you may come back disliking it, especially if you fall on the right side of the political spectrum.
Rebellion Doesn’t Come Easy
Case in point, the heroes of this film are the remnants of a revolutionary organization (or political terrorist cell if you may) named the French 75. The villain of the piece is a commanding officer of the military, Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn). A few years before the film begins in earnest, he managed to capture Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) and blackmail her into sleeping with him. She then squealed on her lover Pat Calhoun (Leonardo DiCaprio) and the rest of the organization, but Pat managed to get away with several others before they were found.
He now lives in hiding as Bob, with he and Perfidia’s presumed daughter Willa ((formerly Charlene (Chase Infiniti)). Trouble comes for the father and daughter when Lockjaw is welcomed into a secret society of far-right white supremacists, The Christmas Adventurers. They forbid interracial relations, especially with those of the African American race. Remembering his time with Perfidia, Lockjaw doubles down on finding Bob and Willa. He conducts a massive drug and immigrant enforcement operation to cover what is essentially a kidnapping/assassination mission on someone who may be his own daughter.
Bob and Willa are on the run, and unfortunately, they find themselves separated. It is only through the help of Willa’s karate teacher, Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio del Toro) that Bob has a chance to find Willa, evade Lockjaw, and find relative safety once again.
Viva La Revolución
For such serious subject matter, the film avoids being a dramatic gut punch, ala Magnolia or There Will Be Blood. Rather, the movie is an action/ thriller/comedy that blurs the three genres together perfectly, never skipping a beat in all areas. The action part is told through the continual close calls and brushes with death that both Bob and Willa experience. Like a ride on a roller coaster, the film knows exactly when to unleash its tension and when to relieve it. For an almost 3-hour film, I never grew bored once. It has fantastic rhythm.
The comedy comes from the situation Bob finds himself in. In hiding, he’s managed to grow paranoid and gain a drug addiction. There is a reoccurring joke here where Bob finds himself talking to a resistance member, attempting to answer security questions. Bob, however, can’t remember the answer to one of them for his life. DiCaprio plays these moments perfectly as he frantically explains that he’s been drugged out and chastises the voice on the other line for not letting him bypass the question.
DiCaprio brings the same earnestness to the other parts of his role, specifically in his relation to Willa, who he will literally do anything to protect. Infiniti, as Willa, also brings spunk and self-reliance to the role, especially when she’s called on to protect herself against the evils of Lockjaw.
Sean Penn, on that note, plays his part well. However, if you’re looking for a complex villain, this is not it. Lockjaw is as motivated by greed and insecurity as they come and is 2-dimensionally evil.
Satirizing Power
On that note, so are the rest of the Christmas Adventurers. Holding secret meetings in their underground caves and spewing hateful white supremacist rhetoric, they are clearly an indictment of who is currently in power in real-world politics. I have no problem with this, as sometimes administrations such as Trump’s are so overly comically evil it’s hard to believe.
Some reviewers are praising the film for its thematic complexity, but I found most themes to be front and center. There are, of course, the political critiques, but the film also explores the impacts of familial bonds. Finally, there’s the unending fight for justice.
On that note, I wouldn’t go into One Battle After Another expecting a deep, philosophical exploration of topics such as fate, God, or religion like P.T. Anderson’s previous works. Neither is it, as said before, as heavy of a film. But that doesn’t mean its topics aren’t as important. And it’s nice to have a fun action/thriller from a director who’s already proved he can handle drama.
A Masterpiece
One Battle After Another is therefore a masterpiece in its own right. It’s an action/thriller that’s as easy to find fun and excitement in. It also covers topics and themes that are relevant to modern times. Great performances in this film are a plenty, with believable heroes as well as comically evil villains who you find it fun to hate. The film doesn’t provide any easy answers on how to beat them, but it doesn’t necessarily need to. It’s enough to draw attention to America’s current problems, and God knows, I don’t have the solution to them either. One Battle After Another does everything right, and although Magnolia still remains my favorite of P.T. Anderson’s films, this one deserves special accolades. There are no flaws here, folks.
