The new Paul Thomas Anderson lands in theaters right at the right time in America’s history. To say this is a “timely” movie isn’t really accurate – this story has been building in PTA’s mind for years. He just finally got the script together, and somehow got Warner Bros to give him over $100 million to make it, and they went out and shot it last year, and now we’re treated to an astonishing movie. To say it’s too soon to judge if it’s an “American classic” isn’t really accurate either – this movie is unquestionably an instant classic that will be loved by movie fans all over the world. And with time it will earn its place in cinema history, even though most of us who write about movies professionally can see the writing on the wall already. One Battle After Another totally rocks. This movie kicks so much ass. But using such a banal, trite phrase to describe it is a disservice – this sprawling, pristine, energetic, visceral modern movie deserves much more careful analysis & deeper intellectual appreciation. Not only entertaining, it’s the movie of the moment in that it represents the zeitgeist perfectly. It may be amusing satire, but it’s also pretty darn realistic if you really break it down. // Continue Reading ›