Disclaimer: I’m a blind film critic.

technically, my second time through this, but my first was without audio description. I figured, if this thing is going to win Best Picture, i should be as fully informed on this as possible.So, I waited, and now I’ve seen the film with audio description. I don’t know what I was expecting from the track, but not necessarily this. the film itself, which is nominated in the Comedy/Musical side at the Golden Globes, is a mixture of genres. I’m not sure Paul Thomas Anderson likes to be easily defined, so when granted a large budget, he puts on quite a show. It is comedic at times, full of action, and backed by some dramatic beats. So I guess the neutral description works, but sometimes feels in contrast to the more bombastic moments.

Now that everything is political, and there are sides, we have seen a rise in conservative film critics who seem to reject the notion that this is a modern classic, because it glorifies domestic terrorism, and if the shoe was on the other foot, would those same audiences rally? Possibly. Everyone loves a good villain, and if you look at the takeaways from Anderson’s there Will Be blood, for example, they lie mostly with Daniel Day Lewis, who didn’t play a hero. Also, for a 180 million dollar production, you can bet this wasn’t a filming process that started after January 20th, so the idea that people are drawing parallels is not necessarily the intention or fault of the film. this would have still released as is, and could have done so in a Kamala Harris administration, without any focus on the overreach of ICE, or the neglectful treatment of migrants. The corner could have turned, and in that case, would people just not respond to the film?

Perhaps it benefits somewhat from parallels it has no control over, but considering the “fight the power” mentality,there are plenty of people on the right who could see themselves as patriots if the tables turned. I often wonder sometimes if films we later realize their greatness were just not relatable in their initial release, and it took time for people to find the connective meaning in the film. Either way, Paul Thomas Anderson has directed the hell out of this, and shows what he can do with larger budgets. After this, I’d imagine even more actors will be knocking on his door.

One Battle After Another centers around a group of revolutionaries who in the past, commit what is technically domestic terrorism, but with the best intentions. they free detained migrants, and their leader (Tiana Taylor) seems to take personal note of Lockjaw (Sean Penn), who ran the detention facility. While she is technically involved with bob (Leonardo DiCaprio), this is a woman with no strings, and one thing leads to another. Later on, we see that Bob is raising a daughter (Chase infinity), left behind by his ex, who got pinched. They live under the radar, communicating through code names, phrases, and signals. It seems as though they’ve been forgotten about, until a group of white supremacists masquerading as Christmas enthusiasts invite Lockjaw to join their club. However, they look down on the mixing of races, so Lockjaw has one last thing to clean up.

He uses whatever military force has been granted to him to track down his daughter, who is unaware of this situation, and their cover is blown. Suddenly, a high schooler is fleeing her big school dance with the help of an old revolutionary (Regina Hall), and Bob is too damn high to deal with this. He still makes it away, and his friend (Benecio Del toro), who also dabbles in illegal things, helps him escape.

Then it becomes a matter of moving the chess pieces around the board, as everyone is after the girl, but for different reasons. the performances here are all solid. I actually appreciated DiCaprio even more after the second viewing, because it feels like a different role for him. He’s probably not the smartest guy, and has been high for nearly two decades. Maybe he was great once, but now he can’t remember anything important. He walks a fine line between comedy and drama, selling us on the hapless quality of Bob, and rooting for him in spite of anything he did in the past.

Sean Penn is a masterclass in crafting complicated villains. he’s not just so obviously evil in every frame from the onset, like some other great cinematic villains. He has levels, and the beginning of the film with Taylor sets a modified tone on a bad guy, which led me to wonder if there was anything else he ever wanted from his exchange with his daughter.

Benecio Del Toro has picked up a lot of praise for a lovely performance that isn’t a career defining moment for him. If anything, he was better this year in the Phoenician Scheme. That allowed him to command the film. here, he’s really playing a pretty cool best friend, and his charm is in the fun he seems to be having. Tiana Taylor’s road to the Oscars is frustrating only because I wanted more. Somehow, it feel like we were robbed and shortchanged on one of, if not the most interesting characters in the film. Once she exits, that wraps her contribution, though I constantly hoped for more. Regina Hall is having a lot of fun too, and I wanted more screentime here as well. She is pretty marginalized by the cut of the film.

Then we have Chase Infinity,who has the audacity to breakthrough in this film. She does a lovely job as a breakthrough performer, but she basically nails the teen girl vibe of her role. She’s also not really the lead actress, but rather the actress with the most screen time. I’m excited to see what is next for her.

Johnny Greenwood’s score has some truly terrific moments. It isn’t quite my favorite of the year, but Greenwood does such great work and has never won. So, if he wins for this film, I’m OK with it.

I rarely ever align with the flow of the tide, and while this film is terrific, I’ve seen a few I love a little better. And honestly, while it is close, I’m not sure it is my favorite Paul Thomas Anderson film, which is either There Will Be Blood or boogie Nights. I’m impressed by this, and it certainly shows Anderson’s commitment to crafting interesting stories that don’t just seem like everything you’ve seen before. each of his films feels totally unique, as if his greatest challenge is to continue to create singular experiences that can’t be replicated, and are impossible to tie to another film. He probably has a list of tropes, and makes sure to avoid all of them.

A film about revolutionaries by a revolutionary filmmaker that through happenstance feels of the times, but has the necessary parts to stand uniquely apart from any and all of its contemporaries. Anderson has once again assembled an ensemble that perfectly pull all the puzzle pieces together.

Fresh: Final grade: 8.8/10