There Will Be Blog
I know everytime I write here, I start with an “Oh to update more often”. I’m planning to now focus on smaller posts, about one film at a time, in order to be timely. The monthly ones are fun, but ask me about a film three weeks after I’ve seen it and suddenly the dementia is very early on-set. So we move back to the blog’s origins and talk about the current bookies’ favourite to win the Oscar next year, One Battle After Another
My relationship with director Paul Thomas Anderson is messy. Punch Drunk Love was downright boring. I didn’t even finish it. There Will Be Blood was good, but I watched it one week before a new job and the lead character felt like a spitting image of what was to be my new boss. It took me much longer to trust them as a result. I’m brave enough now to call Licorice Pizza a mess, so one out of three.
One Battle After Another does make it two out of four. An exciting action movie, we start off with a prologue in which “Ghetto” (Leonardo Di Caprio) and Perfidia Beverley Hills (Teyana Taylor) are a young couple for French 75, a revolutionary group declaring war on the USA. Tracking them down is Col. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) who is infatuated by Deandra. After a mission goes wrong, “Ghetto” and his baby escape. 17 years later and with new identities, Bob (LDC) and his daughter Willow are living a secluded normal life. However, Lockjaw has a reason to go after them, and once there is a lead both of their lives are in danger. Willow has plenty to learn, while Bob has to get his head back together.
There are plenty of things I liked about this movie. Firstly, the pacing. At two hours and forty-one minutes, it’s no Brutalist, but it’s a significant undertaking. It certainly doesn’t feel like it as throughout the whole time I was engaged. The writing was snappy, if simple at times, the characters were all light and it never felt stretched.
Technically, the film is really strong as well. It looks great. Cinematography is brilliant, and the soundtrack was wonderful. Peppy and exciting, it tonally matched well. It risked being overbearing at times, but the balance just hit the sweet spot. It’s in for a tough time come awards season against sinners.
The highlight of the film, cast wise, has to be Sean Penn as the villainous Lockjaw. Exciting and terrifying in equal measures, his interactions with Regina King were particularly fantastic. While he wasn’t able to meet that again during the main section of the film, he was still the most exciting part.
While this film is gathering plaudits left, right and centre, it’s by no means a perfect movie. I found the character development a bit stagnant. While Flo had to come of age, Leo’s character and Lockjaw both just remain stubbornly unchanged. It just takes away from any empathy or engagement with the character much further than huh, that’s funny from that movie star who’s acting like a bit of a loser. The film felt very male written and primarily from a male gaze. There was an article about the treatment of black women in the film, and it’s tough to argue with.
The film also felt very American. The humour as well as the politics feel very relevant to a Trumpian landscape, possibly part of the broad liberal appeal. However, as someone who doesn’t find LDC to be naturally funny, it felt like they were desperately asking for laughs which my screening wasn’t giving. Between these facts the emotional crescendo felt just a little bit flat. It probably won’t have the same impact on a British audience, but that’s fine. It’s still a pretty damn fun movie anyway.
OBAA is in cinemas
The Film Ramble 