“One Battle After Another,” which has a 98 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has garnered early Oscar buzz, features an all-star cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor and newcomer Chase Infiniti.
“The collaboration is the best part of making a movie,” said writer/director/producer Paul Thomas Anderson. “The camaraderie that you feel with the people that you’re collaborating with, the trust that you put in them, the way you admire and hold each other up when you’re tired or need support. It’s a team sport for sure, and I’m surrounded by people who I just love, that is a family. It’s the foundation of everything.”
“One Battle After Another” tells the story of a washed-up revolutionary (DiCaprio) who exists in a state of stoned paranoia. He survives off-grid with his spirited, self-reliant daughter, Willa (Infiniti). When his evil nemesis (Penn) resurfaces after 16 years and she goes missing, the former radical scrambles to find her, with both father and daughter battling the consequences of his past.
The cast has nothing but praise for Anderson. Regina Hall, whose portrayal of Deandra has become an early Oscar favorite, says, “I always love the worlds that Paul creates, I love the characters, I love how stories converge. And I love his storytelling through the way he uses the camera. His filmmaking is equally a part of the storytelling. So I was just really excited to be a part of anything that he worked on, and with such an incredible cast.”
Producer Sara Murphy was also impressed by the cast.
On Leonardo DiCaprio: “I think the comedy in Leo’s character comes from him having to sort of step outside of himself. He is a little bit settled in his ways and a little bit slower than his feet need him to be, in a way that he’s going to have to shake off in order to actually proceed.”
On Sean Penn: “I think this character, Lockjaw, is particularly bonkers, and Sean does not hold back. I think it’s one of the greatest characters I’ve ever seen him play... He just really goes for it, but also delivers deep humanity at the same time as being an incredible villain.”
On Benicio Del Toro: “I think Benicio is the coolest guy in the room, I think that’s what he brings to the party. Obviously he has a long standing relationship with Paul, and they developed that character together a little bit on the ground.”
On Regina Hall: “Regina Hall’s character, Deandra, is sort of the rock for everyone throughout the film. She is loyal, she’s steady, she’s dependable. She’s right all of the time. And Regina Hall is an incredible actor. We’ve mostly seen her do comedic roles, but I think she brings stability to the movie as Deandra. I love seeing her in a more dramatic role because she can really carry it, and she carries a lot in this particular movie.”
On Chase Infiniti: Regina Hall also shared her excitement for newcomer Infiniti. “I’m so excited for everyone to get to see Chase Infiniti’s performance, she’s every bit delightful... she really showed up from day one, and it wasn’t easy. She has some rough scenes, some rough days, some rough shooting. But she was always just going with the flow and amazing. I can’t imagine my first film – my first movie ever – being with Sean Penn, Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, and I just show up. That’s impressive.”
“One Battle After Another” is now showing only in cinemas. / PR S