Kaleidoscope Film Review presents its latest on Ghoulardi Film Company’s & Warner Bros. production of One Battle After Another.  Written & directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, the movie stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, &, introducing, Chase Infiniti.  Rated ‘R’, it has a running time of 2 hours, 40 minutes. 

The film opens focusing on ‘Ghetto’ Pat Calhoun, aka Bob Ferguson, (DiCaprio) & Perfidia Beverly Hills (Taylor) who are members of a revolutionary group known as the French 75.  The group’s goal is to break out immigrants from a California detention center.  During this opening action, Perfidia is confronted by the detention center’s commanding officer, Col. Steven Lockjaw (Penn).  Admitting that he enjoys sex with women of color, he develops a sexual crush on Perfidia.  Coincidental with this, Pat/Bob & Perfidia become lovers as the French 75 commit terrorist attacks on banks, power grids, politicians’ office, among other venues.  During one of these attacks, Perfidia is captured by Lockjaw, who agrees to let her go if she agrees to have sex with him at a motel.  9 months later, Perfidia gives birth to a baby girl, Charlene (Infiniti).  Not sure of who the father is, she allows Pat to believe it is his.  Perfidia then abandons Pat & Charlene to continue acting as a revolutionary.  After being captured, Lockjaw, who is in still in lust/love with her, convinces Perfidia to ‘rat’ on her fellow revolutionaries in exchange for being placed in witness protection.  After Lockjaw kills several of the French 75 members based on her info, Perfidia manages to escape the US & flees to Mexico. As Act I ends, Pat & Charlene are forced to live in hiding as Bob & Willa Ferguson. 

The amazing Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love, There Will Be Blood, The Master, Phantom Thread, among others) has created another superb film to add to his already impressive oeuvre.  As always, Anderson's direction is true to his vision.  His camera becomes another character to complement the action, motives, & emotions of the film’s dramatis personae.  Anderson’s script is a masterwork blending action, thrills, comedy, & quiet moments into a cohesive whole.  We ‘rock n roll’ at the proper times, laugh uproariously at when prompted, & thrill to all that is presented at appropriate times. Character development modulates & grows throughout the screenplay.  DiCaprio excels as the morally conflicted, drug-addled, paranoid co-leader of the revolutionary French 75, partner of Perfidia, & ‘father’ of Willa.  We cry with him, laugh with him, & feel his continuously changing emotions.  Penn is also morally ambiguous, alternating between a hard-edged soldier of the state & a lover of women such as Perfidia.  Almost unrecognizable in his grizzled look, stance, & perfunctory line reading, Penn nevertheless commands the screen whenever he appears.  Taylor is excellent as the equivocal Perfidia.  She longs for the French 75 to stop the strong-armed tactics of the state yet will become a turncoat when her freedom is challenged.  Infiniti is marvelous as Willa, the 4th morally challenged main character of Anderson’s world.  As a veritable newcomer (only previously seen in Apple TV+’s series Presumed Innocent), she commands the screen whenever she appears in the film’s 2nd & 3rd acts.  While the movie’s POV is primarily that of DiCaprio’s, it shifts to Infiniti’s at crucial times.  As mentioned previously, Michael Bauman’s cinematography is almost a separate character in the film as it captures the films moral ambiguity is scene after scene.  Johnny Greenwood (the lead guitarist & keyboardist for the rock band Radiohead) has composed a score that is alternately thrilling & contemplative at appropriate times as it supports & comments on the film’s roller coaster ride. 

I give One Battle After Another 10 out of 10 nuggets!!  This is another gem in the Paul Thomas Anderson film canon & delivers in multiple ways to provide a mesmerizing cinematic experience!  #paulthomasanderson  #leonardodicaprio  #sean penn