(Warner Bros. Pictures)
1/2
(“One Battle After Another” trailer courtesy of Warner Bros.)
The revolution might not be televised.
But thanks to “One Battle After Another,” the revolution can still be seen on the biggest movie theater screens in America and beyond.
The very good film “One Battle After Another” deserves all the Oscar buzz it is receiving, as it combines the spirit of the Weather Underground political terrorist organization with the controversy of interracial relationships, like in the legendary Spike Lee joint, “Jungle Fever.”
“One Battle After Another” comes out at a tumultuous time in American history, and the film captures the current climate in a scarily accurate way.
Gone are the days of turning the other cheek, while singing “We Shall Overcome,” because political organizations have grown tired of seeing their views ignored by the powers-that-be.
In “One Battle After Another,” the violent political group French 75 is pissed off at America’s immigration policies, abortion policies and other conservative ideals.
The group led by members like Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio, “Killers of the Flower Moon”), Deandra (Regina Hall, “The Best Man Holiday”), Perfidia (Teyana Taylor, “A Thousand and One”) and Laredo (Wood Harris, “The New Edition Story”) have their militant minds set on freeing Hispanic migrants from a detention center run by armed military members.
And Perfidia makes it known that the French 75 has not come in peace.
Their brazen emancipation of caged migrants is a declaration of war against the United States government.
The group wants free borders.
Additionally, they want women’s bodies to be free from government involvement.
The French 75 runs its operation with military precision.
The terrorist organization has people knowledgeable about explosives.
They have getaway drivers.
They all seem to have expertise with firearms.
In fact, they enjoy busting their guns.
At least, Perfidia does.
Target practice with machine guns really gets her juices flowing.
And like Bob says, Perfidia does not even care that she is very pregnant.
Carrying a child should not stop a real woman from unloading a clip in someone’s behind if they get out of line.
In “One Battle After Another,” Bob and Perfidia are like a revolutionary Bonnie and Clyde.
A good relationship should make both partners better.
But when both partners are terrorists, they only make each other better terrorists.
Despite her violent tendencies, Perfidia still has an undeniable sex appeal.
Her sexiness is so real that it captivates Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) even after she ties him up and empties his detention facility of migrants.
Well, some men might get aroused by being tied up at gunpoint.
Perfidia definitely turns Lockjaw on.
While many robbery victims would seek justice after they escape their assailants unharmed, Lockjaw instead begins spying on the sexy militant, and not to apprehend her.
He even becomes possessive of a woman who is not even his.
When he sees Bob grab her behind, it visibly upsets Lockjaw.
But belonging to another man has never stopped some men from pursuing their crush.
And Lockjaw is definitely one of those men.
Like left-leaning political terrorists of the 1960s and 1970s, the French 75 commit crimes to further their political agenda.
But when the group’s “Set it Off” impersonation goes haywire, the group must disband and disperse.
They must take on new identities.
They must cut off all communication if possible.
And they are to stay off the grid, which is very difficult in this technological age.
The French 75 members do have code words that they can use to communicate with each other in times of danger.
Furthermore, they have old school communication devices that they can use to discern who is one of them and who is an “opp.”
Even as years turn to over a decade, though, the group is not totally off Lockjaw’s radar, putting people in danger, even those too young to have participated in their past political protests.
In “One Battle After Another,” Lockjaw is determined to tie up some loose ends, even if it means disowning what is rightfully his.
“One Battle After Another” is marvelously riveting and extremely strange in a good way.
Hollywood often misses when it becomes too eccentric.
But it definitely does not with “One Battle After Another.”
DiCaprio is his often-brilliant self.
But it is Taylor who steals the first half of the film.
Still known more for her music and relationships, it would not surprise this movie critic to see Taylor one day holding a certain trophy on one of Hollywood’s biggest nights.
She is that good of an actress.
Likewise, others like Hall and Harris do their thing as they always do in front of a camera.
But as Taylor dominated the first half of the movie, Chase Infiniti dominates the back end of the movie as Bob’s daughter, Willa.
Infiniti does not have many acting credits.
But expect that to quickly change thanks to her superb performance in “One Battle After Another.”
In the meantime, and in between time, viewers of “One Battle After Another” will get treated to a truly gangster performance by Benicio Del Toro as Sensei Sergio St. Carlos.
While characters like Bob and Perfidia are volatile, the sensei is the calming presence that many real gangsters are during violent skirmishes.
Unfortunately, “One Battle After Another” has some gory scenes that some might not like.
But it will be hard not to like “One Battle After Another” thanks to its timely subject matter and uniqueness.
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
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