Directed and written by: Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Chase Infiniti, Teyana Taylor, Regina Hall, and Benicio Del Toro
Runtime: 161 minutes
‘One Battle After Another’: The cinematic hits don’t let up for over two and a half hours
“Viva la revolucion!” – Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio)
The French 75 is an assembly of domestic vigilantes, terrorists, or folk heroes, depending upon your perspective. Set during a time that resembles modern-day America, these revolutionaries are either a menace to the state of things or freedom fighters embarking on a just conflict against an oppressive regime. They blow up office buildings, electrical grids, and banks, and they sometimes rob them.
Director/writer Paul Thomas Anderson didn’t have to rob a bank to make his tenth film, “One Battle After Another”, but his big-budget action flick allegedly cost well over $100 million. Well, the studio’s spending certainly shines and booms on the big screen.
For much of the 161-minute runtime, “Battle” feels like “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning” (2023) meets “Midnight Run” (1998) meets “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” (1991), where Col. Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn) attempts to hunt down the French 75 and especially our lead, Bob. Lockjaw does not intend to arrest the “75” and place them in custody.
In a relentless pursuit, Lockjaw is playing for keeps.
Anderson demonstrates early in the first act that Lockjaw and his platoon mean business, when one of the 75, Mae (Alana Haim from “Licorice Pizza” (2021)), is – spoiler alert – viciously and efficiently killed, much like smashing a fly with a newspaper and discarding it in the trash.
“Battle” dives headfirst into government (perceived or real) overreach and the violent battles against it, immigration, and race.
The audience doesn’t witness the initial tyranny that causes the revolutionaries to begin combat, as the film opens with Bob (previously named Pat), his girlfriend, Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor), and company committing a montage of destructive illegalities. Still, the “State” responds with coordinated extractions and ferocious attacks, as seen by Mae’s demise, and Bob/Pat, Perfida, Deandra (Regina Hall), and the rest find themselves on the run.
When pricey theatrical endeavors confront grand ideas, filmmakers can struggle to balance both their ambitious production plans and compelling character studies within a single movie. However, Anderson successfully manages this delicate celluloid scale, a daring tightrope walk, with care.
First, he doesn’t bog down the former with lengthy histories of atrocities on both sides. Instead, he conveys the long, painful “war” through his characters’ battle-fatigued facial expressions and the clashes that exist in the here and now, while also including the never-stressed Sensei Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio Del Toro) and his immigrant community mainstay, as well as a secret society where diversity isn’t tolerated.
Second, with the plethora of car chases, explosions, and stressful, winding on-foot pursuits, “Battle” is grounded in a personal mano a mano conflict between Lockjaw and Bob stemming from the opposing sides of the State vs. Rebels confrontation and the affection for Perfidia. Lockjaw and Bob’s disagreement comically begins when Bob commits a harmless but also aggressive physical gesture.
A rivalry is born!
The dichotomy between Lockjaw and Bob is as evident as the sun rising from the east. Aside from their stark philosophical and political differences, Lockjaw’s stringent, dedicated, and manicured appearance and strict posture contrast with Bob’s pot-smoking, casual, and frequently-trying-to-catch-up (while wearing a flannel bathrobe) persona.
Costume designer Colleen Atwood and the 12-person makeup team must have had a ball making this movie!
Anyway, Anderson shoots and pens this two-man confrontation (and includes Bob’s daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti) as a critical character) with Lockjaw’s T-1000 mindset versus Bob’s The Dude (from “The Big Lebowski” (1998)) outlook taking center stage. Penn and DiCaprio take PTA’s cues and run with them – with gravity and humor - in utterly compelling Oscar-worthy performances.
Expect an anxiety-driven, thrilling, and provocative time at the movies, with some gentler moments playfully dancing on occasion. For instance, after about 45 minutes of composer Jonny Greenwood’s constant and taxing piano work, the audience gratefully meets Willa in the Sensei’s class with Steely Dan’s “Dirty Work”. I said silently, “Oh, good. I love this song.”
Hey, when witnessing a revolution, it’s refreshing to take a moment to appreciate Donald Fagen and Walter Becker.
Jeff’s ranking
3.5/4 stars
