Yet another assured offering from Paul Thomas Anderson. DiCaprio’s rebel slacker is like the feral offspring of Jackson Lamb and Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski as he rushes and flails his way through this trial like an (credit to Kiki →) “unmade bed” ripped away in a tornado. He’s a slob. He drinks too much. He wears a lot of robes. A fumbling, flailing, hero. “PTA” somehow strikes the perfect hybrid comedy/thriller tone, but the danger’s never minimized thanks to the unhinged, comedic appearance from Sean Penn, who nails this evil, weird agent of chaos with veteran confidence. All of the supporting cast is great and there’s not an unnecessary frame in this entire, frenetically-paced outing. The music that accompanies this chaos is chaotic itself, and that drove me a little bit crazy, even though I recognize how necessary it is. When the rubber meets the road, this is a taut action movie, and (plot twist) a movie about family. Chase Infiniti, the rookie heroine, is a revelation and fights and flails through her adventure with skill and fortitude. It’s a barnburner.
No comments:
Post a Comment