Sean Penn

One Battle After Another (2025): Leonardo DiCaprio Delivers the Performance of a Lifetime in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Excellent Thriller

Posted on by Jack Drees

“One Battle After Another” is directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Licorice Pizza, The Master) and stars Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, Inception), Sean Penn (Daddio, Licorice Pizza), Benicio del Toro (Guardians of the Galaxy, Sicario), Regina Hall (Think Like a Man, Scary Movie), Teyana Taylor (White Men Can’t Jump, Coming 2 America), and Chase Infiniti (Presumed Innocent). Inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s novel “Vineland,” this film is about an ex-revolutionary who must save his daughter from a corrupt military official.

As much as I beat a dead horse with this phrase, I only say it because it is true. To me, there are many cases where an artist can only be as good as their last project. Sure, Yorgos Lanthimos is a director with an admirable hustle, but after “Kinds of Forgettable–” err, I mean “Kinds of Kindness,” I am a little nervous about his latest project, “Bugonia.” Kind of like Lanthimos, I was nervous about what would be in store for “One Battle After Another” especially after the infuriating couple of hours I had watching “Licorice Pizza.” Is it a well made film? Sure, in certain regards. But in terms of characterization, plot, perhaps even pacing, I found the end result to be fairly off-putting. It is not to say that Paul Thomas Anderson is an incompetent director. While it has been years since I have seen “The Master,” I do remember it being beautifully made, so Anderson has his ups and downs.

I saw this film a week after it came out. Not because I wanted to stall on it, but because by complete coincidence, I happened to be staying in New York City for a weekend, and I wanted to see the movie in IMAX 70mm. Anytime you hear people say that they saw the next great masterpiece, it is a sentiment that you have to take with a grain of salt. I will only believe the hype when I see it. Plus, the marketing did not do a lot for me. It gave me an idea of the tone, but I thought there was no real oomph to what was on screen. The biggest selling point seemed to be the names Leonardo DiCaprio and Paul Thomas Anderson. I am not critiquing this. If you have talent, sell it. But as far as the movie itself, the marketing did not do it for me.

Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures – © Warner Bros. Pictures

Before this goes off the rails any further, I must say “One Battle After Another” is a magnificent piece of cinema. Is it my favorite film of the year? Not quite. But I am also having trouble coming up with genuine problems. There are problems that come to mind, but if my reviews for “Risky Business” or “Revenge of the Nerds” shows anything, I can still dig a movie despite its flaws. One personal problem would probably force me to spoil part of the film’s climax. But let’s just say that as “cool” and “shocking” as it was for the movie to unveil a choice they made for a major character, I questioned the logic behind said choice. I also find the film’s pacing to mostly work, though I must admit that the movie does start off slow and gets better as it goes. This is not to say that the film is bad, but if I had to name a weakest part of the film, it would probably be the first twenty minutes or half hour.

By the way, if you are looking for a short movie, you will want to sit this one out. “One Battle After Another” is two hours and fifty minutes long. I know for some of you this might be intimidating, but at the risk of sounding like a pervert, size does not matter, it is what you do with it. And Paul Thomas Anderson does his best to deliver a spectacular vision made for the big screen.

If you get a chance to see “One Battle After Another” in a theater, please do. The film is easy on the eyes thanks to Michael Bauman’s cinematography, as well as the ears courtesy of Jonny Greenwood’s score. There was a point during the film’s climax where my chair was vibrating like I was at an NFL game.

Speaking of cinematography and camerawork, this film is one of the cleanest I have seen this year. While “One Battle After Another” may not be the most colorful movie, it makes the most of its rather limited palette to the point where everything that’s on the screen pops. There is also a riveting chase scene towards the end of the film that basically turns the road itself into a character. The film contains a shot where we see the road winding up and down and it helped set the mood for what’s to come. Visually, this movie needs no notes. It is also heavily enhanced when watched in the film’s native 1.5:1 aspect ratio, which is typically used for VistaVision.

Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures – © Warner Bros. Pictures

Going back to the marketing of this film, I mentioned that one of the biggest selling points for “One Battle After Another” is Leonardo DiCaprio. And why wouldn’t he be? He has starred in some of the best films in the past couple decades. Like usual, DiCaprio gives his performance his all. Also, the more I think about his performance, the more I come to a conclusion that I am proud to wear on my sleeve. There are not many other people that I could see playing a character of this type as well as Leonardo DiCaprio could. Maybe Brad Pitt… Perhaps Sam Rockwell… Those two names come to mind. But the more I look at this role and think about the way it was executed, it comes off as if it was written with Leonardo DiCaprio in mind. We see him start off as part of revolutionary group as Pat Calhoun, and he later evolves into a washed-up stoner who goes by Bob Ferguson. You can the see the range coming from DiCaprio as he effectively portrays multiple portions of his character’s life. I also found some scenes featuring the character to be laugh out loud funny. There is a phenomenal gag in this film involving a “rendezvous point” that had me rolling on the floor.

Paul Thomas Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio are celebrated veterans in the industry, but “One Battle After Another” may also be responsible for some people’s big breaks, including Chase Infiniti, who plays Leonardo DiCaprio’s child. I dug the back and forth between these two. Going back to the evolution of DiCaprio’s character, I thought Infiniti did an superb job at channeling her character’s distaste for her father’s resorting to drugs or his overprotectiveness. Chase Infiniti’s career is likely only getting started and this film is going to open so many doors for her. I look forward to seeing what she does next.

In the end, “One Battle After Another” is an experience. Is this my favorite movie of the year? No. But it is an exquisitely crafted piece of cinema in multiple regards. It is one of the best looking movies of the year. It has one of the best casts of the year. The story, while sometimes slow, is engaging. It is a satisfying film that balances serious topics like political extremes and revolution while also having time to insert scenes where Leonardo DiCaprio acts like a complete buffoon. This movie is a massively successful balancing act. I am going to give “One Battle After Another” an 8/10.

“One Battle After Another” is now playing in theaters everywhere. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! My next review is going to be for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” stay tuned! Also coming soon, I will be sharing my thoughts on “Tron: Ares,” “Bone Lake,” “A House of Dynamite,” “The Smashing Machine,” “Shelby Oaks,” and Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein.” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “One Battle After Another?” What did you think about it? Or, what is your favorite Paul Thomas Anderson movie? Let me know down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!

Daddio (2024): Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn Share Bumps in the Road in This Simple, but Unpredictable Ride

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Daddio” is written and directed by Christy Hall and this is her feature film debut as both a writer and a director. This film stars Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey, The High Note) and Sean Penn (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Mystic River) in a film showcasing a cab ride from John F. Kennedy International Airport to midtown Manhattan where two people have deep and honest conversations about their lives.

Before we go any further, for those keeping track, much like how “The Beekeeper” and “Thelma” are two revenge flicks I saw this year showing how people deal with scammers, “Daddio” just so happens to be the second example of a film primarily about two people in a cab ride. The first one, for the record, just so happens to be the French film “Driving Madeleine.” Coincidentally, I reviewed that film right after one of those revenge flicks, “The Beekeeper.” And guess what my last review was before doing this film? “Thelma!” That’s what! How poetic indeed!

With that digression out of the way, “Daddio” snuck up on me last minute. Particularly when I watched an interview with Dakota Johnson on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last month. This is not the first time this has happened. I remember watching “Four Good Days,” which is an excellent film by the way, mainly because I watched Mila Kunis being interviewed on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” It is nice to know how effectively these kinds of interviews double as both fun conversations and marketing tools. It works, so why fix it?

That said, interview tactics or not, Dakota Johnson very much needed something to get moviegoers back on her good side. On top of being the lead in the “Fifty Shades” films, which assumedly has its audience, but also its fair share of critics, she also just led the pile of schlock known as “Madame Web,” which I think many would agree with me when I say it is one of the worst comic book films ever. It is a film that I said was somehow worse than “Morbius.” And amazingly, it is written by the same duo who wrote “Morbius.” Quite a hot streak, right?! Although if you ask me, Johnson has had her fair share of wins. “The Peanut Butter Falcon” and “The High Note” are two smaller, non-franchise films she did in recent years that I quite enjoyed. “Daddio” is another such example, but I would argue it is even tinier. Because while it is set in various parts of the New York metro area, the whole movie basically takes place in a car. And it is primarily between two characters, at least two characters whose faces we see.

Thankfully, these two characters are well written, concrete, and play off each other beautifully for the film’s entire runtime. I have seen my fair share of road adventure films where we have multiple characters in the car who cannot quite connect the dots to make the ride entertaining for me as a viewer. This film, I would not exactly classify as “entertainment.” Again, it is quite deep and gets you thinking, but my eyes and ears were open whenever the ride was going down so it is technically accurate to say I was quite entertained from start to finish. I was invested in these two’s conversations, Johnson’s uses of her phone, and the little obstacles these two come across as they made their way through the route.

You ever go on the road expecting a typical ride only to find something completely unexpected? I certainly have. Anything from massive traffic to endless road closures to finding random piles of debris in the middle of the road… These have all happened to me at some point in my life. And this movie reminded me of times when I would have those obstacles come my way. Granted, there is an obstacle this movie presents that I cannot really compare to anything I’ve personally encountered. It is something much bigger, perhaps unexpected. But it fascinating to see how these two react to and deal with such a thing in the moment.

One of the things I love about this movie is how it shows the layers of humanity. It shows that there is more to people than meets the eye. When you get a look at someone in your life, or maybe when you talk to someone you’ve never talked to before, you will garner an interpretation or image of that person. This movie shows that what you may think a person could be, while possibly true, is not entirely who they are. Or in some cases, that image you have of a person may not even be true in the slightest. Whether it is an image we make up ourselves or an image we hear from them. Regardless of how true or false the images are amongst our two main characters, I was thoroughly captivated by both of them. I loved getting to know Dakota Johnson’s character, Girlie, from the dialogue and what we see from her on her on her phone. Sean Penn does a really good job encapsulating a man who very much resembles an individual who has seen it all. After all, we find out he has been a cab driver for a long time, he does not have time or motivation for the apps like Uber and Lyft. He’s old school. He is someone who’s simply tired of the way the world’s shifting.

Some of my favorite movies do a good job at taking the ordinary, whether it is a character, a place, or an everyday situation, and turns them into something extraordinary. I sometimes look back at one of my favorite films at 2021, “CODA,” and find myself marveled with how its protagonist’s normality would be seen as abnormal by so many other people. In a different sense, “Daddio” takes one of the most everyday things, a drive, something that just so happens to be in the entire film, by the way, and adds quite a bit to it to make the journey something that stands out a lot more than a simple commute. Things that make the ride interesting, or compelling. Each obstacle had my attention. Each conversation had my investment. Each little thing we learn about these two characters kept my chin up. It is hard to know if a movie like “Daddio” is going to be for everyone. If some of you asked me to explain what this movie is about, chances are you’d question how cinematic it really is. This film is very much about the human condition, the way we think, the way we interpret others. And if you are interested in a story about people, then maybe this film is for you. Frankly, I watched this film partially because I will admit, and I do not know if this reason has a ton of validity to it, I love New York. I thought it would be fun to see a commute from the airport to Manhattan. But this film, to my lack of surprise, delivers much more than that.

One last thing, if you saw “Madame Web” this year and questioned Dakota Johnson’s ability as an actor, I highly recommend you watch “Daddio” because I am convinced this movie will change your mind. Remember what I said earlier, “Madame Web” was written by the same people who wrote “Morbius.” Their track record is not the best. Johnson was not given the finest material, and it shows in the movie. It is like watching George Clooney in “Batman & Robin.” He has proven he can act both before and after that film. But there is much more to his lackluster performance in “Batman & Robin” than how he handles it. Here, Dakota Johnson is given a higher quality script, a deeper character, and a more compelling plot. And as a moviegoer, this movie gave me something too. Compared to “Madame Web,” “Daddio” gave me a greater investment of my time. And that is an investment that should never ever go to waste.

In the end, “Daddio” is a film that I am not sure that many of you reading this are going to see, but please do not let it slip by you. This film features two really good performances of well written characters. I wanted to know as much about these two as the movie would allow me to. The movie is the simplest of ideas, but it is done in such a way that makes for an incredibly engaging journey. Now, if I were to compare “Daddio” to another one I mentioned at the beginning, “Driving Madeleine,” I would probably say I would rather watch “Daddio” a second time before putting on “Driving Madeleine” again. And for those who ask, no, it is not because I am a simpleton who wants the characters in the movie to speak English. If anything, it is because “Daddio” does such a great job at fleshing out its leads and makes the most of every situation it presents. This is nothing against “Driving Madeleine.” In fact, if you have not seen that film, I would recommend it. Much like “Daddio,” “Driving Madeleine” is an effective showcase of what it means to be human. But if you asked me to pick between the two, and for all I know, this could be recency bias, I currently find “Daddio” to be more appealing. But if you were to watch either of these films, you would not be wasting your time. I am going to give “Daddio” an 8/10.

“Daddio” is now playing in theaters. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! If you liked this review, I have more coming! Stay tuned for my thoughts on “A Quiet Place: Day One,” “MaXXXine,” “Twisters,” “Deadpool & Wolverine,” and “Kinds of Kindness.” If you want to see these reviews and more from Scene Before, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Daddio?” What did you think about it? Or, what is the craziest car ride you’ve ever had? Tell me about it down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!

Licorice Pizza (2021): Paul Thomas Anderson Delivers a Pizza Crap

Posted on by Jack Drees

“Licorice Pizza” is directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Phantom Thread, The Master) and stars Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, Sean Penn (Mystic River, Milk), Tom Waits (The Old Man & the Gun, The Dead Don’t Die), Bradley Cooper (Guardians of the Galaxy, A Star is Born), and Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems, Good Time). This film follows the connection between Alana Kane and Gary Valentine, not to be confused with the guy who plays Danny on “King of Queens,” as they spend time together in the San Fernando Valley in 1973.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – FEBRUARY 05: Director Paul Thomas Anderson attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards Nominee Luncheon at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 5, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Paul Thomas Anderson is a name I have not followed as much as other directors, and it is something I feel guilty of doing in regards to my film watching journey. Not only because he is an acclaimed name, but he also went to Emerson College, which I was probably going to attend had I gotten past the waitlist. So he has a bit of history in Boston, which as someone who lives near the Massachusetts state capital, is something I take a bit too seriously. I’ve seen “The Master” towards the end of the 2010s, but that’s all I have watched from him. I remember it being magnificently shot, but the story is not something that stuck with me to this day. I still need to watch “There Will Be Blood,” I own copies of “Inherent Vice” and “Phantom Thread” and still need to watch those. I still haven’t seen “Boogie Nights!” There are quite a few directors I have gotten around to over the years in terms of catching up on their filmography, but Paul Thomas Anderson fails to make the list.

When I saw the trailer for “Licorice Pizza,” I thought it sort of nailed the nostalgic aspect. The film takes place in the 1970s, and not only does it get a thumbs up for the production design that reminds me of walking into my grandparents’ house, but some of the music is okay as well. I think this film from a presentation point of view, checks a lot of boxes. It looks like it is from its focal decade, the acting, despite the leads having no evidential experience, is top-notch. For all I know, it could be on Anderson’s part. If I have learned anything from James Gunn over the years, he can take an actor with less experience like John Cena and make them pop. The best thing I can say about “Licorice Pizza” is that Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman give good performances regardless of the material that’s given to them.

I’m not using that last sentence lightly, because “Licorice Pizza” is probably the most uncomfortable I have felt watching a movie in some time. Okay, well, maybe not as uncomfortable as “Music,” that s*it was downright personal. I live in the age of social media and in my teens I would talk to people far from my age group and nothing weird happened. Although I believe it is commonly agreed upon that adults should not be dating teens that are ten years apart in age. Gary in this film is 15 years old and Alana is 25.

Do you see the problem?

Now, if Alana was 18, that would be one thing, because that’s also technically an adult, but she is also old enough to still be in high school, just like Gary. TWENTY-FIVE?! The film is kind of a back and forth sort of thing in terms of the romance, where Gary sometimes claims Alana’s his girlfriend, but then the two go back to calling each other “business partners” or something else, but I honestly could not justify myself liking the character of Gary. Because when I think of these sorts of relationships, maybe I’m thinking the adult is in the wrong of dating someone that is significantly younger than them. But with Gary, he’s a literal pervert, and he’s not afraid to hide it. And he’s not a cool pervert like Ron Burgundy who has some personality, granted the movie he’s in respectively has a different vibe, but every time I look at Gary and he says some other line, I want to put some tape over his mouth.

Look, I’m a guy, and it is scientifically evident that guys love anything that has to do with sex. We are revolting creatures. But oh my god. Gary is a downright creep who I occasionally wanted to punch in the face throughout this film’s poorly paced runtime. Seriously, it felt like it was 15 or 30 minutes longer than it actually was. If it’s not about getting to see Alana’s boobs, it’s about making money. Downright power. That’s what we’re dealing with here. Now, I’ve seen “The Wolf of Wall Street,” Jordan Belfort in that film has a semi-similar personality, but he’s also proven that he can be chill, he can be cool. Granted Belfort’s not a teenager, that’s one big difference. Even so, I never got that positive vibe from Gary. I felt like he was trying too hard to be cool when in reality, he felt disgusting.

Now, and I cannot believe I have to say this on a blogging platform that my family reads… I don’t think Paul Thomas Anderson is interested in showing his junk to young girls. I mean, if the genders were reversed, where Alana sees a 25 year old Gary’s junk, who knows? I am comfortable with a storyline about sexual exploration, it’s not something I wouldn’t expect out of some coming of age tales, but this was poorly executed in the worst way possible. I would not want Gary as my friend, and I would want out of any matters involving him if he ever tried to get into Alana’s pants.

One of the most important things about a romance film is that the two leads are likable. I don’t even like their characters by themselves all that much, and even less so together. Because despite what I’ve been saying about Gary coming off as a creep, movies have shown how characters can develop and change. Compared to some other films that I’ve seen, including another recent 1970s nostalgia fest, “The Tender Bar,” I could not really catch onto much character development, especially from Gary. I think Alana’s character has some moments where I could feel her emotion, her stress, the want to escape from reality and other people, but it’s barely enough to make this movie the slightest bit watchable.

If I had any other positives to give “Licorice Pizza,” it is that Bradley Cooper shines as Jon Peters. He honestly came off as a bit of a drugged-up Hugh Hefner type. I think his presence in the film allows the costume design to show its power. Cooper was well directed by Anderson and I would not have minded seeing more of him.

In the end, “Licorice Pizza” is a film that I was looking forward to, but as soon as they stated the age difference, that was an immediate turnoff. This harkens back to the saying that first impressions matter. And if you think this is my only problem with the movie, I’ll mention once again that this movie could have been fifteen to thirty minutes shorter. The movie occasionally dragged, it felt boring. Gary Valentine is by no means a likable character. In fact, he’s probably the character that I hate the most of any project I’ve watched in the past 12 months or so. If you think “West Side Story” was worth skipping because of the Ansel Elgort controversy, I will not stop you from doing that. But based on the fictional elements presented in “Licorice Pizza,” this is a film that part of me wishes I could have skipped. It’s barely any fun, it’s creepy, and I wish the script was good enough to match the amazing talents of some of the actors on screen. I’ll probably go back and watch some of Anderson’s work like “Phantom Thread,” but I hope his next project, whenever that comes out, won’t be as off-putting as this. If you want a 1970s nostalgia fest, just go watch “The Tender Bar.” It’s on Prime Video, and worth your time. I’m going to give “Licorice Pizza” a 4/10.

“Licorice Pizza” is now playing in theaters everywhere. Tickets are available now.

Thanks for reading this review! This week I’m going to be watching the all new Japanese animated film, “Belle.” I have heard nothing but good things about this flick, and I am quite curious to see how it is. I will have a review coming soon, and if you want to see more content like this, follow the blog either with an email or WordPress account! Also, check out the official Scene Before Facebook page! I want to know, did you see “Licorice Pizza?” What did you think about it? Or, what is a film, one specifically that IS NOT in the horror genre, that genuinely makes you uncomfortable? For me, I’d say that would be “Music,” which I literally talked about in my worst of the year list a couple weeks ago! Let me know your pick down below! Scene Before is your click to the flicks!