Review: One Battle After Another – Viva la cinema

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Regina Hall, Benicio del Toro, Sean Penn

7/10

In a dream cinematic pairing, Leonardo DiCaprio has finally linked up with Paul Thomas Anderson to bring one of the most entertaining films of this highly regarded auteur’s filmography, helped by high-octane cinematography and a very revolutionary-sounding musical score. Despite the lofty political topics addressed with fury and a wild abandon, the film comes across as aggressively loud with hardly any whispers of true substance or intrigue.

The French 75 are an anarchist organisation, hell-bent on bringing down the fascistic institutions of a right-wing America (particularly at the border). Its leader, Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor), is as confident in her terroristic activities as she is careless, and she is caught by Colonel Lockjaw (Sean Penn)—despite them being politically opposed enemies, it doesn’t stop them from getting horny and engaging in a heated one-night stand.

After a bank robbery/fundraiser gone wrong, Perfidia becomes a snitch for immunity, leaving her partner Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio) with his daughter that he doesn’t even suspect may be illegitimate. Sixteen years later, the grown-up Willa (Chase Infiniti) is chased down by the remaining anarchists to make sure she isn’t apprehended by Lockjaw, who is attempting to ‘clean his record’ to enter into a prestigious white supremacist organisation.

It’s quite the twist on your usual ‘on-the-run’ political-thriller story. Like the equally politically charged Eddington, it does not shy away from the sex appeal of activism, but this film feels more earnest and less cynical about its characters. Even these rather horrendous villains are at least still so damn entertaining and funny to watch, perhaps more so than the protagonists.

Although not quite the action film it’s marketed as, it’s certainly a full-on exhilarating film, with not a boring scene as it zips by its lofty 162-minute run-time. Each character is a blast to watch, from Bob’s consistent frustration from his pot-addled brain to the zen attitude to life from Sensei Sergio (Benicio del Toro) to the audacious hilarity of both the anarchists and the white supremacists.

Yet, this film is as amusing as it is cartoonish, and this takes away much seriousness or depth it may’ve otherwise inherited. There’s a sinking feeling that the film, despite how it bullheadedly approaches all these modern hot-button issues, is too overstuffed to posit a real point of view.

For Paul Thomas Anderson, this is surely his most stylish, yet arguably least substantial film. All the exciting storylines are brought to rather obvious conclusions, a far cry from the surprising nature and resonating richness of There Will Be Blood, The Master, and Phantom Thread. It still stands as a terrifically wild ride, with every scene and character contributing to the fun. One Battle After Another ultimately has a lot to cover but not much to actually say.

DAVID MORGAN-BROWN