One Battle After Another

[Dicktar2023]

I'm not one to harp on this kind of thing, but this movie apparently cost $175 mil.

Which i guess explains why it has two theatrical trailers, one of which makes it seem like "the big lebowski" and another that looks like a serious action movie.

I predict PTA will have a smaller budget on his next project. I just hope it's not a Netflix original.

[Dicktar2023]

Early reviews are, uh, better than average. That won't hurt.

https://www.metacritic.com/movie/one-ba ... r-another/

[MikoTython]

Going to see tonite, at th' IMAX. Reviews coming in hard & good (never read 'em 'afore I done seed 'em ):

https://www.mrqe.com/movie_reviews/one- ... m100153353

[MikoTython]

A fine adventure and (unfortunately somewhat actually scary) farce...

Held my attention for the entire 2:41 minute run time. A screenplay only a John Irving, QT, or PTA might have written. A raucus anthology / mash-up of the (slightly out of time) leftist violence which predominated in the 70s, or act up! in the 90s, set against the far more modern post-911 'roided up militarized police force we've metastasized here in the US, jumped up another round by the various police abuse incidents (George Floyd murder), and now w/ 'someone' turning the ICE into his storm troopers, this aspect of the film was actually quite ominous, because the potential oppressive power on the table, in nefarious hands such as it is, is there for anyone to behold.

Elements of it were fairly (in a black humor way) hilarious. The ultra-elite-rich-white-boy-christofascist group called the Christmas Adventurers race purity confab was beyond funny - though, when you look at folks like Hegseth (& basically any top member of the current cabinet/admin), not to mention the Jesuitical gang at the SCOTUS, not a terrible stretch, in effect.

There is a remember-the-password scene with a very woke/pronoun-obsessed 'revolutionary' that had me spitting up my soda. The burlesque went every whichaway, thankfully.

Sean Penn, Leo DeCap, the young actress Chase Infiniti, femme fatale Teyana Taylor, the ever jaunty Benicio DelToro - actually the (very largish) cast from top to bottom, were magnificent.

Highly recommended.

[Dicktar2023]

I was disappointed.

PTA has a lot of cool parts lying around in this workshop, but he never assembles them into anything capable of detonating. The intense, sometimes shocking violence (including ripped-from-the-headlines enactments of jackbooted immigration agents rounding up brown people) is constantly undercut by DiCaprio's annoying bumbling pothead antics. The actor does his best with a character that is a very off-putting combination of passivity and shrillness--and PTA seems to find everything he does just drop-dead hilarious. There are more interesting and appealing characters everywhere we look, and this jerk is our protagonist? Every time he came on screen, I could feel the air going out of the movie.

The climax is built on several laughable coincidences (Death Valley is a very small place, in case you don't know) and at least two deus ex machinas. I know, I know, the story isn't the point...but then what is the point? It seems like PTA wants to say something about how disillusioned 60s radicalism informs modern revolutionary movements like antifa--but also, he clearly doesn't want to say that. That would be too controversial, so he keeps most of his thoughts on that unspecific. Which leaves us with a movie that is an unfocused mishmash of zany ideas and pseudo-significance. In other words, a bit trippy. But like a trip, it's hard to see what all that insanity means when it's over.

[MikoTython]

Its a cultural farce, dude. A riff, with a bit of harsh reality, very actually QT-esque. I just enjoyed the ride. What was PTA trying to say ? Hmm, just a stab here - a lot of this drama some hyper-aware folks get caught around the axle in is, at bottom, rather absurd & grandiose, tilting at windmills - meanwhile, the forces of evil ever gather against us. Which isn't so farcical.

At bottom, something about all this nuttiness landed. For me, anyway. Because we are living in nutty times.

[Dicktar2023]

Its a cultural farce, dude. A riff, with a bit of harsh reality, very actually QT-esque. I just enjoyed the ride. What was PTA trying to say ? Hmm, just a stab here - a lot of this drama some hyper-aware folks get caught around the axle in is, at bottom, rather absurd & grandiose, tilting at windmills - meanwhile, the forces of evil ever gather against us. Which isn't so farcical.

At bottom, something about all this nuttiness landed. For me, anyway. Because we are living in nutty times.

I like a good ride. I didn't care for this one, mostly because of its insistence on letting the DiCarprio character drive.

And I don't agree at all that this movie's point is that the left-wingers are titling at windmills. Benicio del Toro isn't just sitting around daydreaming about doing something. Neither were the French 75. The only unmotivated person in this movie Bob.

But I think we've touched on something here. PTA keeps the political messaging so vague that we can see whatever we want to see.

[MikoTython]

When I look at what 'The Vietnam Generation' was/aspired to/pretended to be, and what they turned out as, I'm left with feeling about them, even somewhat myself, in a wash of cynicism.

I consider the radical aspect of the film, even though pushed forward a few decades, more relevant to the 70s era, when there was much more steam behind. But the militarization of the police & feds, their handy demonization/objectification techniques, complete disrespect for persons or basic rights, couldn't be more timely.

Making DiCaprio the hapless, drugged-out, washed-up, cynical person he morphed into, though still basically for all that decent, however ineffectual, was not a bad devise to capture what I was getting at in the first sentence, somewhat. Though that characterization gives 'The Vietnam Generation' far more credit than it deserves, it stands in for those left bemused by the progression of events/attitudes/effects.

No right or wrong 'answers' here, and I can be as picky as the next guy concerning treacle, but this treatment didn't grate on me, at least. I usually like what this guy coughs up, as it happens, so maybe I'm overly indulgent - who knows. What probably made it work for me were the harmonics with 'current events', and the dang humor (see : the proceedings of the executive council of The Christmas Adventurers, and Penn's at once silly/malevolent turn as Col Lockjaw). Ymmv.

That's enough from me, will be interested to hear from others.

[BarkCampbell]

Bumbly dumb white leftist revolutionary man botches his violent revolution? Why see the movie when we can just read the headlines? A week ago Joshua Jann wants to off a bunch of ICE agents and viva la revolucion. Womp womp. Hits those whom he's supposed to be saving/rescuing. If only he'd have had a powerful black femme fatale at his side like this movie to properly school him.

[Dicktar2023]

Bumbly dumb white leftist revolutionary man botches his violent revolution? Why see the movie when we can just read the headlines? A week ago Joshua Jann wants to off a bunch of ICE agents and viva la revolucion. Womp womp. Hits those whom he's supposed to be saving/rescuing. If only he'd have had a powerful black femme fatale at his side like this movie to properly school him.

[3dender]

I was disappointed.

PTA has a lot of cool parts lying around in this workshop, but he never assembles them into anything capable of detonating. The intense, sometimes shocking violence (including ripped-from-the-headlines enactments of jackbooted immigration agents rounding up brown people) is constantly undercut by DiCaprio's annoying bumbling pothead antics. The actor does his best with a character that is a very off-putting combination of passivity and shrillness--and PTA seems to find everything he does just drop-dead hilarious. There are more interesting and appealing characters everywhere we look, and this jerk is our protagonist? Every time he came on screen, I could feel the air going out of the movie.

The climax is built on several laughable coincidences (Death Valley is a very small place, in case you don't know) and at least two deus ex machinas. I know, I know, the story isn't the point...but then what is the point? It seems like PTA wants to say something about how disillusioned 60s radicalism informs modern revolutionary movements like antifa--but also, he clearly doesn't want to say that. That would be too controversial, so he keeps most of his thoughts on that unspecific. Which leaves us with a movie that is an unfocused mishmash of zany ideas and pseudo-significance. In other words, a bit trippy. But like a trip, it's hard to see what all that insanity means when it's over.

I tend to agree. I didn't find Leo as grating as you, but the focus on him worked against the film having a compelling emotional core. This has long been my issue with PTA. His films are emotionally cold to me and I also don't find them as funny as apparently everyone else does. The sum of their excellent independent parts never add up to a truly satisfying whole.

I had chalked it up this time to Pynchon but if Bob is not the protagonist of the novel then yes that would be a poor editorial choice by PTA. I really wanted more of Del Toro in particular, he stole every scene he was in and Leo said in an interview that Benicio is personally responsible for a lot of the Sergio backstory that made it on film.

The acting and cinematography was excellent across the board, even if it did feel like Leo was deliberately channeling Big Lebowski at several points. I was not a big fan of the score, it was pretty intrusive. And while Penn was terrific i thought his character's coda was totally unnecessary and coulda saved 5-10 minutes. I feel like PTA was trying to make is sympathize with him, which yeah no.

Politically I agree with you 100%... not even really worth discussing since PTA is clearly only engaging with it superficially almost as a setting for his film. I did appreciate the clear heart he shows for immigrants though.

But I've never seen a car chase like that one, it was absolutely stunning.

[Dicktar2023]

I was disappointed.

PTA has a lot of cool parts lying around in this workshop, but he never assembles them into anything capable of detonating. The intense, sometimes shocking violence (including ripped-from-the-headlines enactments of jackbooted immigration agents rounding up brown people) is constantly undercut by DiCaprio's annoying bumbling pothead antics. The actor does his best with a character that is a very off-putting combination of passivity and shrillness--and PTA seems to find everything he does just drop-dead hilarious. There are more interesting and appealing characters everywhere we look, and this jerk is our protagonist? Every time he came on screen, I could feel the air going out of the movie.

The climax is built on several laughable coincidences (Death Valley is a very small place, in case you don't know) and at least two deus ex machinas. I know, I know, the story isn't the point...but then what is the point? It seems like PTA wants to say something about how disillusioned 60s radicalism informs modern revolutionary movements like antifa--but also, he clearly doesn't want to say that. That would be too controversial, so he keeps most of his thoughts on that unspecific. Which leaves us with a movie that is an unfocused mishmash of zany ideas and pseudo-significance. In other words, a bit trippy. But like a trip, it's hard to see what all that insanity means when it's over.

I tend to agree. I didn't find Leo as grating as you, but the focus on him worked against the film having a compelling emotional core. This has long been my issue with PTA. His films are emotionally cold to me and I also don't find them as funny as apparently everyone else does. The sum of their excellent independent parts never add up to a truly satisfying whole.

I had chalked it up this time to Pynchon but if Bob is not the protagonist of the novel then yes that would be a poor editorial choice by PTA. I really wanted more of Del Toro in particular, he stole every scene he was in and Leo said in an interview that Benicio is personally responsible for a lot of the Sergio backstory that made it on film.

The acting and cinematography was excellent across the board, even if it did feel like Leo was deliberately channeling Big Lebowski at several points. I was not a big fan of the score, it was pretty intrusive. And while Penn was terrific i thought his character's coda was totally unnecessary and coulda saved 5-10 minutes. I feel like PTA was trying to make is sympathize with him, which yeah no.

Politically I agree with you 100%... not even really worth discussing since PTA is clearly only engaging with it superficially almost as a setting for his film. I did appreciate the clear heart he shows for immigrants though.

But I've never seen a car chase like that one, it was absolutely stunning.

The car chase through the desert was very cool, but...

Spoiler

I was distracted by the number of nonsensical contrivances it took to get them there. How did the guy in the Mustang even know she was in the white car? Or who she is? For that matter, how did he know where Lockjaw was going to be? Does he just drive around the desert, killing everyone he sees? Did I miss something? Lazy storytelling like that drives me crazy.

[3dender]

I was disappointed.

PTA has a lot of cool parts lying around in this workshop, but he never assembles them into anything capable of detonating. The intense, sometimes shocking violence (including ripped-from-the-headlines enactments of jackbooted immigration agents rounding up brown people) is constantly undercut by DiCaprio's annoying bumbling pothead antics. The actor does his best with a character that is a very off-putting combination of passivity and shrillness--and PTA seems to find everything he does just drop-dead hilarious. There are more interesting and appealing characters everywhere we look, and this jerk is our protagonist? Every time he came on screen, I could feel the air going out of the movie.

The climax is built on several laughable coincidences (Death Valley is a very small place, in case you don't know) and at least two deus ex machinas. I know, I know, the story isn't the point...but then what is the point? It seems like PTA wants to say something about how disillusioned 60s radicalism informs modern revolutionary movements like antifa--but also, he clearly doesn't want to say that. That would be too controversial, so he keeps most of his thoughts on that unspecific. Which leaves us with a movie that is an unfocused mishmash of zany ideas and pseudo-significance. In other words, a bit trippy. But like a trip, it's hard to see what all that insanity means when it's over.

I tend to agree. I didn't find Leo as grating as you, but the focus on him worked against the film having a compelling emotional core. This has long been my issue with PTA. His films are emotionally cold to me and I also don't find them as funny as apparently everyone else does. The sum of their excellent independent parts never add up to a truly satisfying whole.

I had chalked it up this time to Pynchon but if Bob is not the protagonist of the novel then yes that would be a poor editorial choice by PTA. I really wanted more of Del Toro in particular, he stole every scene he was in and Leo said in an interview that Benicio is personally responsible for a lot of the Sergio backstory that made it on film.

The acting and cinematography was excellent across the board, even if it did feel like Leo was deliberately channeling Big Lebowski at several points. I was not a big fan of the score, it was pretty intrusive. And while Penn was terrific i thought his character's coda was totally unnecessary and coulda saved 5-10 minutes. I feel like PTA was trying to make is sympathize with him, which yeah no.

Politically I agree with you 100%... not even really worth discussing since PTA is clearly only engaging with it superficially almost as a setting for his film. I did appreciate the clear heart he shows for immigrants though.

But I've never seen a car chase like that one, it was absolutely stunning.

The car chase through the desert was very cool, but...

Spoiler

I was distracted by the number of nonsensical contrivances it took to get them there. How did the guy in the Mustang even know she was in the white car? Or who she is? For that matter, how did he know where Lockjaw was going to be? Does he just drive around the desert, killing everyone he sees? Did I miss something? Lazy storytelling like that drives me crazy.

Yes but again is that Pynchon or PTA? Isn't that just the moderately heightened world of the entire film, where a taekwondo sensei has an entire sanctuary compound covering a whole block in a city's downtown, or where a revolutionary group can bust into an ICE facility by subduing a single guard because everyone else is asleep? Or where, for a last absurd example, any North American leftist group ever has one fraction of the operational security to manage an entire emergency call center with decades-long passwords and protocols, along with a nationwide network of shortwave radio operators?

This movie is not as grounded as a lot of people are making it out to be, and once you grant that it's not really a leap at all to allow some navigational liberties to the aww-shucks Mayberry-style secret Klan super-hitman.

Back to the chase though... I audibly gasped when the door-mounted camera swung closed on Chase Infiniti's face as she peeled out of the driveway. What a shot.

[Dicktar2023]

My understanding is that the movie bears little resemblance to the novel. At any rate, adaptation is always an opportunity to improve on the source material. If you're going to add an action set piece to your Important Prestige Film film, you need to do the storytelling work necessary to set it up.

[3dender]

My understanding is that the movie bears little resemblance to the novel. At any rate, adaptation is always an opportunity to improve on the source material. If you're going to add an action set piece to your Important Prestige Film film, you need to do the storytelling work necessary to set it up.

Just read the novel synopsis and yeah this is definitely more "inspired by" than adapting. Narrative choices (and misses) squarely on PTA...