I’ve been hearing about a very rowdy reception for Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” which test screened last night in Dallas. Of course, take it all with a pinch of salt since the hype of seeing such a buzzed film in advance can meddle with perception.
With that said, I have yet to speak with someone who hasn’t had a positive take on this film, but it should be mentioned that a few attendees I've spoken to believe it to be one of Anderson’s lesser efforts, and the majority keep mentioning how it’s his most commercial outing.
The film was test-screened on Sunday and Tuesday. This means it's tested five times in the last six weeks. However, if that first screening, which took place in Phoenix had a cut clocking it at close to 2 hours 50 minutes, it sounds like PTA has edited the film down to 2 hours 30 minutes.
‘Battle’ is being described as PTA’s “most overtly comedic film since Boogie Nights.” Politically, it’s much more “mild” than first reported, although the film does tackle white supremacy and left-wing rebels.
Other than that, I'm hearing the same details as with the other screenings. It’s PTA’s “most commercial” film and features a great car chase scene. Sean Penn’s villain is “wild, and darkly funny.”
Penn plays Col. Steven J. Lockjaw and he’s a “white supremacist” who somehow had an affair with Teyana Taylor’s character. She ends up leaving him, taking up with Leonardo Dicaprio’s “Bob” and that’s when Lockjaw tries tracking both of them down. It’s an epic chase movie, but despite its dark themes, is very funny, and filled with comedic elements, including slapstick.
“One Battle After Another” was recently delayed to September 26 release date. Will it premiere in Venice? Nobody knows. Maybe Warner Bros is too concerned about going back to that festival after the crushing reception “Joker: Folie a Deux” received.
The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Sean Penn, Alana Haim, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, Wood Harris and Shayna McHayle aka Junglepussy.
“Hope,” Na’s first film in ten years — his last one being the exemplary “The Wailing” —is a gloriously messy, blood-soaked sci-fi epic that may become a cult classic despite—or because of—its polarizing nature.