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Leonardo DiCaprio in Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After Another.' Warner Bros. Pictures

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Fred Hawson

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1759118598950OBAA-00364245-2.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Leonardo DiCaprio in Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After Another.&#x27; Warner Bros. Pictures</div>The French 75 was a group of left-wing revolutionaries constantly at odds with the military because of their criminal activities. Among the members were their leader Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) and &quot;Ghetto&quot; Pat Calhoun (Leonardo diCaprio), who were lovers. A hardcore, white-supremacist officer handling their case, Capt. Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn), developed an ironic indecent obsession on Perfidia. Perfidia got pregnant and gave birth to a girl she named Charlene, whom she left for Pat to raise while she resumed her French 75 activities. When Perfidia got caught, Pat was forced to move out, changing his name to Bob Ferguson, a widower who raised his daughter Willa (Chase Infiniti) alone. Sixteen years passed unremarkably, until one day, Col. Lockjaw somehow managed to zero in on their location, forcing them to go on the run again.Far from his usual screen persona of cocky confidence, we see a deglamorized image of Leonardo DiCaprio here -- disheveled, disoriented and dubious. Another rare aspect of DiCaprio that we see here is his comedic side, tending to silliness, especially in his scenes with the eccentric Sensei Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio del Toro). It was almost slapstick in the last half of the film, with his unkempt topknot and ugly checkered robe, while fumbling with passwords. Sean Penn chewed up all his scenes here with his unnerving portrayal of Hitler-like Col. Lockjaw. He may as well be the Anton Chigurh (bowl-cut villain of &quot;No Country for Old Men&quot;) of 2020s cinema with that shock of silver hair on his head which he kept down with his spit. He was effortlessly sleazy in his scenes with Perfidia, and was sickening when he faced off with helpless young Willa (ingenue Chase Infiniti was so radiant in that scene!). Once this latest film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson had its Hollywood premiere, there had already been quite a number of effusively positive reviews for it. Oscar hype for it ran high immediately, like his previous film masterpieces -- &quot;Boogie Nights&quot; (1996), &quot;Magnolia&quot; (1999), &quot;Phantom Thread&quot; (2017), and of course, &quot;There Will Be Blood&quot; (2007). Better not watch this new film too high on the hype, lest you expect too much. Anderson was able to mix character study, social commentary, political satire, family drama, crime action all together in in perfect harmony. The comedic elements were more prominent, while the dramatic elements were decidedly more subtle. After giving us so much chaos in the first two hours, Anderson saved the best sequence in the closing minutes, executing what could be one of the best shot, most heart-stopping car chases that I&#x27;ve seen. <div> </div>This review was originally published in the author&#x27;s blog, “<a href="https://said-fred.blogspot.com/2025/09/review-of-one-battle-after-another.html">Fred Said</a>.”

Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest, ‘One Battle After Another’, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, blends crime, family drama, and political satire with surprising comedic touches. With early praise already rolling in, it’s shaping up as a strong Oscar contender.

Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest, ‘One Battle After Another’, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, blends crime, family drama, and political satire with surprising comedic touches. With early praise already rolling in, it’s shaping up as a strong Oscar contender.

Movie review: Oscar buzz builds for Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After Another’

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Movie review: Oscar buzz builds for Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After Another’

Fred Hawson

Published September 29, 2025 12:17 PM PHT

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Movie review

Paul Thomas Anderson

One Battle After Another

Leonardo DiCaprio

Oscars

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