Never thought it could be done, but the son of a gun did it. For the last few decades, Paul Thomas Anderson has established himself as one of the best American directors and writers with his knack for prestigious dramas and comedies that boast Oscar pedigree. From arriving valiantly to the scene as a 26 year old with “Boogie Nights” to impactful narrative drives such as “Phantom Thread”, PTA has shoulder checked himself into one of a kind territory as a filmmaker. His natural writing and personal directing has set himself apart as the golden standard for displaying ethos.
One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn, is his band new addition to pushing his own envelope in narrative drive. Given the enormous budget and the unfamiliar genre territory as it is a action thriller, does PTA continue to build his case as the greatest filmmaker of our time? The answer to that question is yes with a ton of layers to it.
One Battle After Another is the greatest action movie of the last decade. Filled to the brim with memorable moments throughout its 170 minute runtime and other worldly set up that would take the best living visionary to accomplish. One Battle never dulls and stays sharp with its quick writing, thrilling action set pieces, fantastic acting, and relevant thematics that set it apart from any political thriller. It dares itself to go in directions that are downright challenging and it lands on its feet every single time with thunderous effect. There is so much going for it that it becomes the sweeping, cinematic experience of the year.
Every cast member here is amazing in their own way and contributes their own degree of intensity. Leonardo DiCaprio is unsurprisingly great as Bob Ferguson who is a washed up revolutionary. He gives moments of hilarity and tenderness that sets the entire film off tonally and thematically. He provides some of the biggest laughs and somber magnetism that draws intense ethos. The rest of the ensemble cast add to the world building and expert set up with rip roaring effect and solidifies the ambition One Battle After Another is striving for as an epic. The standout performance of the movie is absolutely Sean Penn as his portrayal of a disgusting military colonel that blends elements of being menacing with being pathetic. His demeanor sets him apart as one of the best characters in a PTA film and you can pencil him in for Best Supporting Actor. Unreal and ethereal work here from everyone including Paul Thomas Anderson who utilizes his A+ character work to maximum efficiency. Hilarious writing alongside a topical magnitude that is extremely resounding. Weaving it into a personal story that is front and center of a grandiose epic that traverses through generations. Not enough can be said about the character writing.
One Battle After Another is an absolute technical spectacle. Shot on Vistavision and for IMAX, the cinematography ranges from large scale to personal, warm moments in swift transitions. Every frame feels intentionally gritty and also vast with colorful emotion that looks fantastic on the biggest screen. PTA can successfully invoke emotion through a sweeping landscape shot while doing the same with a dreamy closeup that utilizes small depth of field. It all looks and feels amazing with the exceptional editing and sound design across the board.
I am happy to report that the action set pieces also look and feel amazing with a plethora of beautiful frames and kinetic movement. PTA has never fully dipped into the action genre, but he makes it look easy and outshines most action directors today with his contrasting vision and exhilarating attitude. Blend that with the aforementioned character work and this is easily the best action movie of the last decade and maybe even the past two decades. It is meant to be viewed on the largest screen possible.
To top everything off, One Battle provides topical and thematic relevancy with its perspective. It perfectly captures heart and soul of the voices that want to make change whether it be through the way of radical extremism or peaceful protests and conversation. Though it’s displayed in dramatic fashion, in reality there are evil forces beyond our power and comprehension that we are constantly pushing back on in different ways. One Battle shows that the pushback can continue throughout generations with different methods while thinking about our loved ones and putting them first. It is profound and gives One Battle After Another a purpose in today’s political and social climate. It invokes such a feeling that we can all be significant enough to try and change things for the ones closest to us and not selfishly. And that’s something a lot of people are waiting to feel.
Paul Thomas Anderson just casually made the best action movie of the last decade. It is brand new territory for him and yet he retains his warm signature style. It’s an absolute romp front to back with its ambitious narrative force and profound personality that will surely uphold watchability forever. It’s rare to get such a complete film with everything firing on all cylinders; it might be a perfect viewing experience and completely accessible for everyone. And it just might be PTA’s most defining film. Maybe the defining action film of our generation.
There is so much to take in here and I’m sure to find more thoughts about it, but simply put it’s incredible. Finding reasons for this to not be a 5/5 is nasty. This is a 5/5 and top contender for movie of the year. Amazing.
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