^{By: Amanda Guarragi}

From Boogie Nights to There Will Be Blood and now, One Battle After Another, films by Paul Thomas Anderson have defined decades. The anticipation for a new Paul Thomas Anderson film matches the heights of a new Christopher Nolan or Martin Scorsese project. Audiences know the cast of characters’ll entertain them, but more importantly, the journey these filmmakers take them on.

Paul Thomas Anderson often builds from a simple idea and lets it spiral into chaos. Anderson strategically places obstacles to advance the narrative while aiding the development of the characters. His ability to write unlikable characters with well-known actors makes him one of the most trustworthy actor-directors in the industry.

In One Battle After Another, Academy Award winner Leonardo DiCaprio shines as Bob Ferguson, a father who is a retired revolutionary still on guard after his wife Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) left him with their newborn baby. Sixteen years later, Lieutenant Steve Lockjaw (Sean Penn) – who they fought against to break immigrants free from camps – goes after their daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti) because of his own secrets.

In a period when the political landscape seems bleak and uncertain, Paul Thomas Anderson thematically explores the importance of activism and fighting for the next generation. The film is gorgeously shot in multiple formats, but the real treat was being shot in IMAX. 

From the moment the film begins, Anderson locks the audience with high intensity during a breakout. Anderson places the camera in the middle of the action, and you instantly feel connected with the characters. When Bob Ferguson and Perfidia Beverly Hills fall in love, it’s because of their mutual love for the revolution. Anderson doesn’t directly state when this takes place; he creates a timeless American masterpiece that gives future generations the persistence and prowess to demand human rights and justice.

Anderson is one of the most intriguing American filmmakers because of his ability to make the mundanity of a subject or daily life extraordinary. There’s a simplicity with his writing in One Battle After Another, where he interweaves the past experiences of the parents and how their decisions can impact the children. 

For sixteen years, Bob was the best father he could be to Willa, who never had a chance to know her mother. Perfidia Beverly Hills showed complexity in the short period that we saw Teyana Taylor on screen. Women are never prepared for the loss of agency when having a child.

Perfidia wanted a child while craving the freedom of being an activist. Taylor gives a brilliant performance as she struggles with the internal battle of loving her child while suffering from post-partum. Anderson subtly shows these moments throughout to add layers to Perfidia’s choices.     

In protecting his daughter, Bob turns away from the life of a revolutionary and takes odd jobs here and there. He has forgotten his ways of the French 75, which makes for some iconic comedic moments to bring levity to the tension of Willa being kidnapped. 

Anderson utilizes “dad” humour to his advantage, with DiCaprio resorting to physical comedy in certain sequences. The highlight of DiCaprio’s performance lies in the repetition of phone calls to gain access to information. 

Countering DiCaprio was a combative Chase Infiniti who developed a comfortable father/daughter relationship, which Anderson captured immediately. Infiniti gives a star-making performance as she goes toe-to-toe with heavyweights like DiCaprio, Penn and Hall. 

Infiniti completely owns the second half of the film and channels the same level of forthright prowess as Taylor to show the lineage. The best way to describe Infiniti’s performance is silent but deadly. The entire cast is utilized perfectly, and all work together nicely.

You have a calm Benicio Del Toro who helps DiCaprio remember who he is as they develop a brotherly rapport. Regina Hall delivers a chilling and nurturing performance as she helps keep Willa safe while showing her the roots of the French 75. 

Out of everyone, Sean Penn’s return to the screen after Licorice Pizza was a haunting one, and possibly one of his best performances. Penn’s Lieutenant Lockjaw is a creepy and masochistic general who preys on women, specifically women of colour. His relationship with Perfidia Beverly Hills is the cornerstone of the film and is the reason Willa is in danger. 

Michael Bauman’s cinematography is the reason these characters connected with audiences. The extreme close-ups used formed an emotional connection between them due to their facial reactions and the intensity in their eyes. 

The cinematography was incredible throughout, but nothing was as effective as the climactic chase scene through the desert. Anderson and Bauman create beautiful landscapes that were shot on location, which enriched the legacy of the French 75. The intricacy of knowing these secret rendezvous points while constructing these shelters and tunnels that haven’t been used in years elevated the connection to the characters and the past. 

The editing plays a crucial role, especially for three characters: Willa, Bob and Lieutenant Lockjaw, who end up in the same area towards the end of the film. Anderson’s direction is incredible because of the small conversations filled with tension building towards a silent action sequence. The placement of the three cars with each character will have you on the edge of your seat because of Anderson’s way of subverting expectations.  

With One Battle After Another, Anderson proves once again that his cinema captures both the madness and moral pulse of America — a mirror held to revolution and the resilience of its dreamers.

A film that highlights a father’s love for his daughter and the lengths he will go to protect her. Anderson is a gifted filmmaker, and his work often reflects the current landscape. Along with a very talented cast, this is one of the best of the year.