One Battle After Another: A Winner!

Writer/Director Paul Thomas Anderson has directed some excellent films, among them "There Will Be Blood" and "Licorice Pizza."  Although not as good as those two movies (and about 45 minutes too long at 162 minutes), this film has many good things going for it. Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his lover, Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor), are part of a revolutionary group called "French 75."  The film's opening "explodes" with an operation at the USA/Mexican border.  The group releases immigrants awaiting deportation and takes some officers hostage.  The leader of the US military on site, Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn), gets sexually humiliated by Perfidia during the operation, but then becomes sexually obsessed with her.  Shortly thereafter, Perfidia gets pregnant and gives birth to a daughter, Willa.  Bob does most of the parenting since Perfidia isn't into being a mother.  Lockjaw arrests a member of  "French 75" who rats out many group members in order to stay out of jail.  To avoid arrest, Bob and his infant daughter go "off the grid," although Bob still stays in occasional contact with the group. Sixteen years later, Willa (Chase Infiniti) is a teenager who wants to hang out with her friends and not live the sheltered and secluded life she's known so far with just her father.  She secretly has a cell phone, which allows Lockjaw (still obsessed with bringing Ferguson down) to learn where she and her father are located.  Lockjaw then launches a capture operation. I won't say any more about the plot.  The first half is too drawn out, but, once the capture operation is launched, the film gets very exciting and suspenseful.  There is also plenty of comic relief (see the picture).  The acting is excellent, especially by the three leads. If you wait to rent it, get a six-pack and drink "One Bottle After Another!"