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by anya fielding
Paul Thomas Anderson weaves a tale of desperation and survival in his latest feature
Before attending the London premiere of One Battle After Another, I had not managed to glean very much about the film from its trailers. I was expecting an overly-long action flick with a few quippy lines.
However, I now understand why the trailers revealed so little of the film – it defies proper categorisation. At times satire, thriller, stoner comedy and action blockbuster, it delivers a wild and unexpected ride. The dissonance in its clashing tones and themes may not appeal to everyone, but it makes for refreshing viewing after a year dominated by paint-by-the-number sequels and franchises. It is reassuring that Hollywood still takes artistic risks on a $130m-plus-project.
It follows a father, Bob Fergusson, (Leonardo di Caprio) and his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti) pursued by Col. Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn), for their involvement with the nebulous Resistance, and its French 75 sub-faction. I am loath to reveal much more about the plot, considering it is best to go in blind and experience it without preconceptions.
What I can say is that it is a delight to see Sean Penn exercising his comedic chops and he delivers a brilliant, dead-pan satire of a Terminator-style action hero.
Leonardo di Caprio excels as a paranoid father clumsily trying to rescue his daughter through the fog of his drug-addled brain. His performance may feel a little derivative after his portrayal of Jordan Belfort in the Wolf of Wall Street, but there’s a reason director Paul Thomas Anderson would want him to do it again – it makes for great viewing.
Chase Infiniti is perfectly cast, at times vulnerable and scared and at others brave and resourceful.
Beyond the stellar acting, the soundtrack and scoring also shine in this movie. There is little musical cohesion, which works brilliantly in this creatively patchwork story.
Its 162-minute runtime is too long and the ending drags a little, especially in its climactic car chase scene. This sequence is almost exclusively shots of people looking tense in cars, with darting glances to rear view mirrors, driving – albeit quickly – on a straight road.
