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One Battle After Another Review: Leonardo DiCaprio Presents Value For Money Hilarity With Punch in The Gut Emotion
The Paul Anderson caper starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn provides an unexpected flow and a satisfactory ending.
Name: One Battle After Another
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, and Chase Infiniti
Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson
Rating: 4/5
Plot
"Ghetto" Pat Calhoun and Perfidia Beverly Hills, two revolutionaries, part of the French 75, fall in love while setting places on fire. Amid their many moments of defiance, Perfidia comes across Col. Steven Lockjaw, who develops an unhealthy obsession with her. After many encounters, one in which they end up back in a bed, she manages to escape him and give birth to a baby.
Believing the child to be his, Pat Calhoun takes charge of the baby’s care while Perfidia Beverly Hills struggles with jealousy over her own kid, Charlene. She abandons them, and the two are left to change their identities by immigrating to a different town and living as Bob and Willa Ferguson. One day, the disappearance of the daughter jump-starts her search, led by the father, who, in desperation, seeks help from his ex-revolutionary mates and his new friends while also trying to outsmart the police who are combing through the city. The father-daughter relationship reaches a peak as they try hard to find their way back to each other.
What works for One Battle After Another
Practically everything. Brought on by Paul Thomas Anderson, the one always being quoted in the Instagram reels for his immensely impressive work, the writer and director of One Battle After Another manages to deliver yet another impressive case. Leonardo DiCaprio manages to take control of the film right from the get-go, making the theater full of viewers go through the exact same emotions that he is going through each time he appears on screen. His equation with each character is so well defined that you’re able to feel it very passionately.
The overall story arc goes through roller coasters, and the lens of the director is very well transformed into a vision on the screen. A particularly palpable scene breaks towards the end of the film, where a three-way chase between Willa Ferguson, Christmas Adventurers member Tim Smith, and Bob Ferguson heads into climax, and the rise and fall of the hilly roads takes you along the ride quite literally.
What does not work for One Battle After Another
The movie takes its sweet time to head into the actual plot, leaving you wondering about whether the previously revealed synopsis of the movie, centering on the disappearance, is accurate. It was probably only missing a good, loud soundscore when the reunion between Bob and Willa Ferguson finally happens— or maybe that’s just what Bollywood has made us demand.
The long runtime of the film allows for more chaos to unfold, with every minute might get a little bit of a drag for someone with a low attention span, but its need for the actual plot should not be missed.
Acting performances in One Battle After Another
Leonardo DiCaprio is the absolute hero of the film. What a charmer, and not in the ways you’d like to admit. For an ambitious project like this, the actor steps into the shoes of a once-skilled revolutionary only to turn into a comfortably living father in hiding, raising a teenage daughter, having forgotten his ways of life. His comedy timing is commendable and makes you realize just why the actor has been one of the biggest in the industry for decades now.
Sean Penn as Col. Lockjaw is unbelievably well done, making you feel pity and hatred for him in the same breath. His acting brings the much-needed weight to the story as he turns into a man with low self-esteem and even lower standards for the world, returning triumphantly to join a stupid organization only to meet a sad end.
Chase Infiniti Payne is the underrated star, deserving of more praise coming her way. For her film debut, she takes a very strong first step and makes it worthwhile to observe her growth on the screen. She surely has big things waiting for her.
Final Verdict of One Battle After Another
If you’re looking for action, One Battle After Another is your pick this weekend. If you’re looking for an emotional outburst, One Battle After Another should definitely be on your watch list. If you’re looking for comic relief, One Battle After Another has it, and if you’re looking to give a standing ovation to an actor, One Battle After Another’s Leonardo DiCaprio is your man. The film manages to pack a solid mix of everything and makes it a perfect, commercial but adventurous watch.
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