One Battle After Another, 2025

 

Rated R

I was unenthused to watch this year’s Best Picture winner, and at the 20 minute mark, I turned it off, already feeling like this wasn’t worth finishing. The chaos, language, and overall feel of the characters turned me off. A week later, my compulsion to finish movies (shows, books, etc.) kicked in, and I resumed. I can’t say I enjoyed it, but it at least got a little more entertaining.

We are introduced to Perfidia "Beverly Hills" and "Ghetto Pat" Calhoun who are members of the fictional French 75, a far-left group of revolutionaries set on freeing immigrants from a military detention center in California, operated under the command of Colonel Lockjaw (a disgusting white supremacist). This film is based on a book by Thomas Pynchon called Vineland.

Perfidia runs away and is captured, and Colonel Lockjaw grants her protection because he is obsessed with her, despite his racist beliefs. But she escapes and puts Pat and his baby daughter in jeopardy. (The baby is Perfidia's, but we don't know if the father is Lockjaw or Pat.) Pat and the baby get new names and go into hiding. We catch up with them 16 years later living their lives off the grid as Bob and Willa Ferguson.

Despite his affection/obsession for black women, Lockjaw tries to join this f-ed up group of radicalists called the Christmas Adventurers. Seriously. Realizing he has to be background-checked, he sets off on a mission to eliminate his threat: a possible mixed race teenage daughter. 

Willa is rescued by old revolutionaries before she is kidnapped and Bob (though high as a kite) runs about town in his bathrobe, enlists the help of Willa’s sensei, and does everything in his power to get his daughter back. Bob tries to connect at the safe rendezvous point but has forgotten key details. He is every one of us parents (high or not) trying to remember passwords from fifteen years ago. 

 

The safe location is compromised and Willa is captured by Lockjaw and his cronies. Her paternity is confirmed through a DNA test (she is Lockjaw's), and the s.o.b. tries to get someone to do his dirty work and eliminate her. Meanwhile, Bob continues on his crazed hunt. After a suspenseful car chase scene (interestingly filmed), they are reunited. 

“OBAA” won six awards from their thirteen nominations, including Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Penn), Best Casting Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. This was the first year for the new added category: Best Casting. I appreciate this addition as I think the casting directors deserve recognition for hiring the perfect actors and actresses for their film. I think the actress who played Willa was snubbed a Best Actress nomination; I personally think she was better than Teyana Taylor (Perfidia). And I thought Leo did a marvelous job. It was up against “Bugonia”, “F1: The Movie”, “Frankenstein”, “Hamnet”, “Marty Supreme”, “The Secret Agent”, “Sentimental Value”, “Sinners”, and “Train Dreams”. I haven’t scene any of the other films to compare, but “Hamnet” is on my list. I was disappointed that “Wicked: For Good” received zero nominations, even if the first film was better (with ten nominations!). 

There has been a noticeable shift in the nominated films through the years from more blockbuster hits to independent or lesser-known films. I long for the days when I could recognize all the films nominated, or even remember seeing a preview for them. There is also a shift toward more international films as the Academy is expanding globally.  

MEMORABLE SCENE:

Sensei Sergio (Benicio del Torro) sends Bob on the run from the cops with three dudes on skateboards, attempting to lead him to a safe location. Jumping from roof to roof is not a strength of Bob’s, and during one particular long jump, he soars straight off the roof, into a tree, and smack onto the ground, which is a few stories below. Physical comedy is my jam, so this actually had me chuckling. 

LESSONS LEARNED:

Positive change is achieved not through radical violence, but through solidarity and passionate, persistent action. We can help shape a better future for generations to come when communities come together. 

True leadership is about service to the community. People who are selfish and distrustful will not gain a following for lasting impact.