One Battle After Another
Incredible. The spiritual sequel to The Big Lebowski, but with more politics and a non-joke plot. That middle part is truly brilliant, it’s almost Apocalypto in its relentless rush.
Inherent Vice was absolutely incomprehensible, but this has a nicer, tight plot, and doesn’t skimp on the iconic imagery either.
Sean Penn as a sexually frustrated flat top is so amazing, with all those nervous tics, smacking the lips together, hideous hairstyle. Seriously, that hair is a sight to behold, it makes Donald Trump seem like Fabio.
DiCaprio as The Dude with a child is also great. As over the top as The Wolf of Wall Street, just not as sophisticated in its frustrations as the deadbeat Lebowski. No half-remembered Lenin quotes (I am the Walrus?) or Port Huron statements. He says it directly to the dude asking for the time, it’s clear he doesn’t have children.
This is my place for ramblings about sequences of images that exploit the human visual limitation know as persistence of vision.