In honor of Anderson’s recent Oscar wins, Moviefone is counting down every film Paul Thomas Anderson has ever directed from worst to best, including his latest.
(L to R) Emily Watson and Adam Sandler in ‘Punch-Drunk Love’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
A socially awkward and volatile small business owner (Adam Sandler) meets the love of his life (Emily Watson) after being threatened by a gang of scammers.
Daniel Day-Lewis in ‘Phantom Thread’. Photo: Focus Features.
In 1950s London, a renowned dressmaker’s (Daniel Day Lewis) meticulous lifestyle begins drastically changing as his relationship with his young muse (Vickey Kreps) intensifies.
Philip Seymour Hoffman in ‘The Master’. Photo: The Weinstein Company.
Freddie (Joaquin Phoenix), a volatile, heavy-drinking veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, finds some semblance of a family when he stumbles onto the ship of Lancaster Dodd (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), the charismatic leader of a new “religion” he forms after World War II.
(L to R) Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman in ‘Licorice Pizza’. Photo: United Artists Releasing.
The story of Gary Valentine (Cooper Hoffman) and Alana Kane (Alana Haim) growing up, running around and going through the treacherous navigation of first love in the San Fernando Valley, 1973.
On one random day in the San Fernando Valley, a dying father (Jason Robards), a young wife (Julianne Moore), a male caretaker (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), a famous lost son (Tom Cruise), a police officer (John C. Reilly) in love, a boy genius, an ex-boy genius (William H. Macy), a game show host (Phillip Baker Hall) and an estranged daughter (Melora Walters) will each become part of a dazzling multiplicity of plots, but one story.
Joaquin Phoenix in ‘Inherent Vice.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
In Los Angeles at the turn of the 1970s, drug-fueled detective Larry “Doc” Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) investigates the disappearance of an ex-girlfriend (Katherine Waterson).
The cast of ‘Boogie Nights’. Photo: New Line Cinema.
Set in 1977, back when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, idealistic porn producer Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) aspires to elevate his craft to an art form. Horner discovers Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), a hot young talent working as a busboy in a nightclub, and welcomes him into the extended family of movie-makers, misfits and hangers-on that are always around. Adams’ rise from nobody to a celebrity adult entertainer is meteoric, and soon the whole world seems to know his porn alter ego, “Dirk Diggler”. Now, when disco and drugs are in vogue, fashion is in flux and the party never seems to stop, Adams’ dreams of turning sex into stardom are about to collide with cold, hard reality.
Leonardo Di Caprio as Bob Ferguson in ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
When their evil nemesis resurfaces after 16 years, a band of ex-revolutionaries reunite to rescue the daughter of one of their own. (Leonardo Di Caprio)
Daniel Day-Lewis in ‘There Will Be Blood’. Photo: Paramount Vantage.
Ruthless silver miner, turned oil prospector, Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day Lewis), moves to oil-rich California. Using his son to project a trustworthy, family-man image, Plainview cons local landowners into selling him their valuable properties for a pittance. However, local preacher Eli Sunday (Paul Dano) suspects Plainview’s motives and intentions, starting a slow-burning feud that threatens both their lives.
Leonardo Di Caprio as Bob Ferguson in ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
Acclaimed director Paul Thomas Anderson returns to theaters with another modern masterpiece and one of the best films of his impressive career. Loosely based on the novel ‘Vineland’ by Thomas Pynchon, ‘One Battle After Another’ is an incredibly timely, frantic farce that delivers action, humor, and heart.
Leonardo Di Caprio gives a powerhouse performance leading a fantastic cast that also includes Sean Penn in an Oscar worthy supporting role. Benicio del Toro is fantastically funny in his small role, but it is young actress Chase Infiniti that shines along with Di Caprio.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Leonardo Di Caprio and Director/Writer/Producer Paul Thomas Anderson on the set of ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
The film begins by introducing us to Pat (Leonardo Di Caprio), who is an explosives expert and a member of a group of revolutionaries rebelling against the government and their barbaric immigration policies. The group is led by the charismatic Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) who is also in a relationship with Pat. She soon crosses paths with Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) and after she makes a fool of him publicly, he becomes obsessed with her.
Eventually, Perfidia becomes pregnant and after having the baby is captured by Lockjaw, who sends soldiers after the other members. Pat takes the baby, and they go underground living under new identities, careful not to draw Lockjaw’s attention. Sixteen years later, Pat is now Bob Ferguson, an alcoholic pothead raising his daughter Willa by himself, with Perfidia’s whereabouts unknown. They live in a small town where Willa studies martial arts from a local Sensei named Sergio (Benicio del Toro).
Lockjaw is now high up in the government and to join an exclusive and elite club he must kidnap Willa to discover the truth behind a secret that her mother was hiding. Now, with the help of an ex-revolutionary named Deandra (Regina Hall) and Sensei Sergio, Bob must escape from Lockjaw’s men and rescue Willa before it’s too late.
(L to R) Director/Writer/Producer Paul Thomas Anderson, Leonardo Di Caprio and Benicio del Toro on the set of ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Merrick Morton.
While I love ‘Boogie Nights’ and think ‘There Will Be Blood’ is one of the greatest American movies ever made, I have to say that ‘Inherent Vice’ is probably my favorite Paul Thomas Anderson movie. That film was also based on a novel by author Thomas Pynchon, which is probably why the two films are similar in tone and offbeat humor. But Anderson wisely updated the 60’s to 80’s setting of the book to modern day. While our current President’s name is never invoked, it’s obvious that Anderson is using the movie to comment on the current administration’s war on immigration.
In fact, this is by far the most political film Anderson has ever made, but it also has more action sequences than his previous movies. The director finds humor in the most absurd situations, but never loses the message or heart of the movie. Anderson is the last of a dying breed of filmmakers who make unique, crowd-pleasing epics every time out, and this film is no exception. The movie also boasts an impressive score from Jonny Greenwood and gorgeous cinematography from Michael Bauman and Anderson.
Cast and Performances
Benicio del Toro as Sensei St. Carlos in ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Leonardo Di Caprio is possibly the last true movie star, having never made a superhero film or even a sequel, he is still an actor that puts butts in seats regardless of the movie’s content. Think about it, this guy got us to go see his bear (‘The Revenant’) movie!
Some of Di Caprio’s best work in recent years has been in ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ and ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’, and he’s just as good if not better here. There are some similarities between Rick Dalton and Bob Ferguson, but Di Caprio creates a new, awkward, burnout character for us to root for. He’s not a hero, but you do want him to win and his relentless need to find his daughter drives the movie.
(L to R) Teyana Taylor as Perfidia and Sean Penn as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw in ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Sean Penn gives one of his best performances in recent years and is probably a frontrunner for a Best Supporting Oscar nomination at this point. It’s funny to think of the public Sean Penn we all know, a liberal revolutionary in his own right, playing this completely conservative military character. His performance is specific and fits perfectly with Anderson’s tone.
Bencio del Toro gives a gentle and funny performance as Willa’s Sensei Sergio, who helps Bob along the way. He has great chemistry with Di Caprio and shines in all his scenes. Teyana Taylor makes quite an impression as Perfidia Beverly Hills and gives an explosive performance. Unfortunately, her role is limited due to the story, but she lights up the screen regardless.
hase Infiniti as Willa Ferguson in ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
And in her first film, Chase Infinity is a revelation. The actress gives a subtle yet strong performance as Perfidia’s daughter and has great chemistry with Di Caprio. She holds her own in her scenes with Penn and is quite a force on screen.
Oscar Chances
Leonardo Di Caprio as Bob Ferguson in ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
I think it’s safe to say that ‘One Battle After Another’ should be a frontrunner for Best Picture and Best Director nominations at this year’s Academy Awards. I would imagine Best Original Screenplay for Anderson and Best Actor for Di Caprio are also in the mix, as well as a Best Supporting nom for Penn. I would also encourage voters to consider Greenwood’s work for Best Score, as well as Infiniti for Best Supporting Actress.
Final Thoughts
Teyana Taylor as Perfidia in ‘One Battle After Another.’ A Warner Bros. Pictures Release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson has delivered a movie that is as funny, exciting and exhilarating as it is timely and culturally important. With brilliant performances from the entire cast but especially Di Caprio, Penn, del Toro and Infiniti, ‘One Battle After Another’ is a must see and one of the best films of the year.
‘One Battle After Another’ receives a score of 99 out of 100.
‘One Battle After Another’ opens in theaters on September 26th.
What is the plot of ‘One Battle After Another’?
When their evil enemy (Sean Penn) resurfaces after 16 years, a group of ex-revolutionaries reunite to rescue the daughter (Chace Infiniti) of one of their own (Leonardo Di Caprio).
Who is in the cast of ‘One Battle After Another’?
Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson
Sean Penn as Col. Steven J. Lockjaw
Benicio del Toro as Sensei Sergio
Regina Hall as Deandra
Teyana Taylor as Perfidia Beverly Hills
Chase Infiniti as Willa Ferguson
Starletta DuPois as Grandma Jennie
D. W. Moffett as Bill Desmond
Paul Grimstad as Howard Sommerville
‘One Battle After Another’ opens in theaters on September 26th.
Have you ever watched a movie and just thought it was okay? You didn’t hate it, but you didn’t love it either.
But then on a second viewing, maybe on TV, you realized that you loved the movie and that it has really grown on you and become one of your favorites. That happens all the time because motion pictures are truly a living and breathing artform. This is why we have phrases like: “Cult Classics” or “Rewatchable Movies”.
In that spirit, Moviefone is counting down the 30 most underrated movies of all time, which includes films that got better on a second watch or just deserve more attention than they have previously received.
(L to R) Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Kevin Kline and Alan Rickman in ‘The January Man’. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Nick (Kevin Kline) and Frank (Harvey Keitel) Starkey were both policemen. A scandal forced Nick to leave the force, now a serial killer has driven the police to take him back. A web that includes Frank’s wife (Susan Sarandon), bribery, and corruption all are in the background as Nick tries to uncover the secret of where the killer will strike next, and finally must lay a trap without the police.
Jason Statham in ‘Homefront’. Photo: Open Road Films.
Phil Broker (Jason Statham) is a former DEA agent who has gone through a crisis after his action against a biker gang went horribly wrong and it cost the life of his boss’ son. He is recently widowed and is left with a 9-years-old daughter (Izabela Vidovic), Maddy. He decides to quit the turbulent and demanding life of thrill for Maddy’s sake and retires to a small town. His daughter fights off a boy who was bullying her at school and this sets in motion a round of events that end in his direct confrontation with the local Meth drug lord (James Franco). His past history with the biker gang also enters the arena, making matters more complex. But he has a mission in his mind to protect his daughter and he is ready to pay any cost that it demands.
(L to R) Kurt Russell and Adrienne Barbeau in ‘Escape from New York’. Photo: AVCO Embassy Pictures.
In a world ravaged by crime, the entire island of Manhattan has been converted into a walled prison where brutal prisoners roam. After the US president crash-lands inside, war hero Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) has 24 hours to bring him back.
(L to R) Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe in ‘Proof of Life’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
Alice (Meg Ryan) hires a professional negotiator (Russell Crowe) to obtain the release of her engineer husband (David Morse), who has been kidnapped by anti-government guerrillas in South America.
Scarlett Johansson in ‘Lucy’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
A woman (Scarlett Johansson), accidentally caught in a dark deal, turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic.
Michael Fassbender in ‘Steve Jobs’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender) takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint an intimate portrait of the brilliant man at its epicenter.
Matt Damon in ‘The Martian’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive.
(L to R) Taye Diggs and Samuel L. Jackson in ‘Basic’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
A DEA agent (John Travolta) investigates the disappearance of a legendary Army ranger drill sergeant (Samuel L. Jackson) and several of his cadets during a training exercise gone severely awry.
(L to R) Colin Farrell and Charlie Hunnam in ‘The Gentlemen’. Photo: STXfilms.
American expat Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) has built a highly profitable marijuana empire in London. When word gets out that he’s looking to cash out of the business forever it triggers plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail in an attempt to steal his domain out from under him.
An idealistic FBI agent (Emily Blunt) is enlisted by a government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in ‘Shot Caller’. Photo: Saban Films.
A newly-released prison gangster (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is forced by the leaders of his gang to orchestrate a major crime with a brutal rival gang on the streets of Southern California.
A frustrated man (Gerard Butler) decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets one of his family’s killers free. He targets not only the killer but also the district attorney (Jamie Foxx) and others involved in the deal.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt in ‘Brick’. Photo: Focus Features.
After a phone call from his ex-girlfriend, teenage loner Brendan Frye (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) learns that her dead body was found. Vowing to solve her murder himself, he must infiltrate high-school cliques that he previously avoided. His search for the truth brings him before some of the school’s roughest characters.
Cast of 2010’s ‘The Losers’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
On a mission deep in the Bolivian jungle, a team of elite commandos finds itself on the receiving end of a lethal betrayal. Now presumed dead, the men join forces with a mysterious operative named Aisha (Zoe Saldaña) to hunt down their enemy and even the score.
(L to R) Tom Hanks and Phillip Seymour Hoffman in ‘Charlie Wilson’s War.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.
The true story of Texas congressman Charlie Wilson’s (Tom Hanks) covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets had some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.
(L to R) Denzel Washington and Jodie Foster in ‘Inside Man’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
When an armed, masked gang enter a Manhattan bank, lock the doors and take hostages, the detective (Denzel Washington) assigned to effect their release enters negotiations preoccupied with corruption charges he is facing.
(L to R) Colin Farrell as Detective James ‘Sonny’ Crockett and Jamie Foxx as Detective Ricardo ‘Rico’ Tubbs in ‘Miami Vice.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.
A case involving drug lords and murder in South Florida takes a personal turn for undercover detectives Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Foxx). Unorthodox Crockett gets involved romantically with the Chinese-Cuban wife (Gong Li) of a trafficker of arms and drugs, while Tubbs deals with an assault on those he loves.
Cast of 2010’s ‘Takers’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
A seasoned team of bank robbers, including Gordon Jennings (Idris Elba), John Rahway (Paul Walker), A.J. (Hayden Christensen), and brothers Jake (Michael Ealy) and Jesse Attica (Chris Brown) successfully complete their latest heist and lead a life of luxury while planning their next job. When Ghost (T.I.), a former member of their team, is released from prison he convinces the group to strike an armored car carrying $20 million. As the “Takers” carefully plot out their strategy and draw nearer to exacting the grand heist, a reckless police officer inches closer to apprehending the criminals.
(L to R) Tom Sizemore and Nicolas Cage in ‘Bringing Out the Dead’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Once called “Father Frank” for his efforts to rescue lives, Frank Pierce (Nicolas Cage) sees the ghosts of those he failed to save around every turn. He has tried everything he can to get fired, calling in sick, delaying taking calls where he might have to face one more victim he couldn’t help, yet cannot quit the job on his own.
(L to R) Anna Kendrick and Ben Affleck in ‘The Accountant.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
As a math savant (Ben Affleck) uncooks the books for a new client, the Treasury Department closes in on his activities and the body count starts to rise.
Oscar Isaac in ‘Inside Llewyn Davis.’ Photo: CBS Films.
In Greenwich Village in the early 1960s, gifted but volatile folk musician Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) struggles with money, relationships, and his uncertain future.
(L to R) Danny Glover, Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn and Kevin Costner in ‘Silverado’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.
Four unwitting heroes (Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner and Danny Glover) cross paths on their journey to the sleepy town of Silverado. Little do they know the town where their family and friends reside has been taken over by a corrupt sheriff (Brian Dennehy) and a murderous posse. It’s up to the sharp-shooting foursome to save the day, but first they have to break each other out of jail, and learn who their real friends are.
Mel Gibson in ‘Edge of Darkness.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
As a seasoned homicide detective, Thomas Craven (Mel Gibson) has seen the bleakest side of humanity. But nothing prepares him for the toughest investigation of his life: the search for his only daughter Emma’s killer. Now, he is on a personal mission to uncover the disturbing secrets surrounding her murder, including corporate corruption, government collusion and Emma’s own mysterious life.
Edward Norton in ‘Motherless Brooklyn’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
New York City, 1957. Lionel Essrog (Edward Norton), a private detective living with Tourette syndrome, tries to solve the murder of his mentor and best friend (Bruce Willis), armed only with vague clues and the strength of his obsessive mind.
Jon Hamm in ‘Confess, Fletch.’ Photo courtesy of Miramax.
The roguishly charming and endlessly troublesome Fletch (Jon Hamm) becomes the prime suspect in a murder case while searching for a stolen art collection. The only way to prove his innocence? Find out which of the long list of suspects is the culprit – from the eccentric art dealer (Kyle MacLachlan) and a missing playboy (John Behlmann) to a crazy neighbor (Annie Mumolo) and Fletch’s Italian girlfriend (Lorenza Izzo). Crime, in fact, has never been this disorganized.
Paul Newman in ‘The Verdict’. Photo: 20th Century-Fox.
Frank Galvin (Paul Newman) is a down-on-his-luck lawyer and reduced to drinking and ambulance chasing, when a former associate reminds him of his obligations in a medical malpractice suit by serving it to Galvin on a silver platter—all parties are willing to settle out of court. Blundering his way through the preliminaries, Galvin suddenly realizes that the case should actually go to court—to punish the guilty, to get a decent settlement for his clients… and to restore his standing as a lawyer.
(L to R) Colm Meaney, Daniel Craig, and George Harris in ‘Layer Cake.’ Photo: Columbia Pictures.
When a seemingly straight-forward drug deal goes awry, XXXX (Daniel Craig) has to break his die-hard rules and turn up the heat, not only to outwit the old regime and come out on top, but to save his own skin.
Peter Fonda in ‘Ulee’s Gold’. Photo: Orion Pictures.
Third-generation Florida beekeeper Ulee Jackson (Peter Fonda) may have gotten out of Vietnam alive but he left a part of himself behind. Now he methodically tends his bees carefully, provides for his two grandchildren and keeps his emotions at bay. But when a long-buried secret threatens Ulee’s business and family, he is forced to break through his emotional walls and confront the terror of his wounded spirit.
Christopher Walken in ‘King of New York’. Photo: New Line Cinema.
A former drug lord (Christopher Walken) returns from prison determined to wipe out all his competition and distribute the profits of his operations to New York’s poor and lower classes in this stylish and ultra violent modern twist on Robin Hood.
(L to R) Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig in ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.’ Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
Disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) investigates the disappearance of a weary patriarch’s niece from 40 years ago. He is aided by the pierced, tattooed, punk computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). As they work together in the investigation, Blomkvist and Salander uncover immense corruption beyond anything they have ever imagined.
(L to R) Rachel Weisz and Ralph Finnes in ‘The Constant Gardner’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Justin Quayle (Ralph Finnes) is a low-level British diplomat who has always gone about his work very quietly, not causing any problems. But after his radical wife Tessa (Rachel Weisz) is killed he becomes determined to find out why, thrusting himself into the middle of a very dangerous conspiracy.
(L to R) Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans in ‘The Last Boy Scout’. Photo: Warner Bros.
When the girl (Halle Berry) that detective Joe Hallenback (Bruce Willis) is protecting gets murdered, the boyfriend (Damon Wayans) of the murdered girl attempts to investigate and solve the case. What they discover is that there is deep seated corruption going on between a crooked politician and the owner of a pro football team.
In 1980s Beirut, Mason Skiles (Jon Hamm) is a former US diplomat who is called back into service to save a colleague from the group that is possibly responsible for his own family’s death. Meanwhile a CIA field agent (Rosamund Pike) who is working under cover at the American embassy is tasked with keeping Mason alive and ensuring that the mission is a success.
Christopher Lambert as Connor MacLeod in 1986’s ‘Highlander.’ Photo: 20th Century Fox.
He fought his first battle on the Scottish Highlands in 1536. He will fight his greatest battle on the streets of New York City in 1986. His name is Connor MacLeod (Christophe Lambert). He is immortal.
Jean-Claude Van Damme in ‘Timecop’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
An officer (Jean-Claude Van Damme) for a security agency that regulates time travel, must fend for his life against a shady politician (Ron Silver) who has a tie to his past.
Joaquin Phoenix in ‘Inherent Vice.’ Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
In Los Angeles at the turn of the 1970s, drug-fueled detective Larry “Doc” Sportello (Joaquin Phoenix) investigates the disappearance of an ex-girlfriend (Katherine Waterson).
(L to R) Val Kilmer and Derek Luke in ‘Spartan’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
US government agent Scott (Val Kilmer) is assigned to rescue the daughter (Kristen Bell) of a high-ranking government official. As willing as he is to bend the rules to get things done though, Scott is shocked to find that others are willing to go even further to protect a political career.
(Right) Gerard Butler in ‘Den of Thieves’. Photo: STXfilms,
A gritty crime saga which follows the lives of an elite unit of the LA County Sheriff’s Dept. and the state’s most successful bank robbery crew as the outlaws plan a seemingly impossible heist on the Federal Reserve Bank.
(L to R) Sean Penn and Gary Oldman in ‘State of Grace.’ Photo: Orion Pictures.
Hell’s Kitchen, New York. Terry Noonan (Sean Penn) returns home after a ten-year absence. He soon reconnects with Jackie (Gary Oldman), a childhood friend and member of the Irish mob, and rekindles his love affair with Jackie’s sister Kathleen (Robin Wright).
(L to R) Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr. in director Shane Black’s ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.’
A petty thief posing as an actor (Robert Downey Jr.) is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation along with his high school dream girl (Michelle Monaghan) and a detective (Val Kilmer) who’s been training him for his upcoming role.
Denzel Washington in ‘Man on Fire’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Jaded ex-CIA operative John Creasy (Denzel Washington) reluctantly accepts a job as the bodyguard for a 10-year-old girl (Dakota Fanning) in Mexico City. They clash at first, but eventually bond, and when she’s kidnapped he’s consumed by fury and will stop at nothing to save her life.
John Cusack in ‘Grosse Pointe Blank’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
Martin Blank (John Cusack) is a hitman for hire. When he starts to develop a conscience, he botches a couple of routine jobs. On the advice of his secretary (Joan Cusack) and his psychiatrist (Alan Arkin), he decides to attend his ten-year high school reunion in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
(L to R) Luis Guzmán and Terence Stamp in ‘The Limey’. Photo: Artisan Entertainment.
‘The Limey’ follows Wilson (Terence Stamp), a tough English ex-con who travels to Los Angeles to avenge his daughter’s death. Upon arrival Wilson goes to task battling Valentine (Peter Fonda) and an army of LA’s toughest criminals hoping to find clues and piece together what happened. After surviving a near-death beating, getting thrown from a building and being chased down a dangerous mountain road, the Englishman decides to dole out some bodily harm of his own.
(L to R) Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin in ‘Midnight Run.’ Photo: Universal Pictures.
A bounty hunter (Robert De Niro) pursues a former Mafia accountant (Charles Gordon), who embezzled $15 million of mob money. He is also being chased by a rival bounty hunter (John Ashton), the F.B.I. (Yaphet Kotto), and a mob boss (Dennis Farina) after jumping bail.
Denzel Washington in ‘The Mighty Quinn.’ Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Police chief Xavier Quinn (Denzel Washington) investigates the gruesome murder of Donald Pater, one of the wealthiest residents on a Caribbean island. He was found decapitated in his Jacuzzi. Although the local political establishment especially crooked Governor Chalk (Norman Beaton) insists that smalltime thief Maubee (Robert Townsend) is responsible, Xavier has his doubts. This view is complicated by the police chiefs personal history with Maubee. The men have been friends since childhood.
(L to R) Alan Arkin and Peter Falk in ‘The In-Laws.’ Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.
In preparation for his daughter’s wedding, dentist Sheldon Kornpett (Alan Arkin) meets Vince Ricardo (Peter Falk), the groom’s father. Vince, a manic fellow who claims to be a government agent, then proceeds to drag Sheldon into a series of chases and misadventures from New York to Central America.
Ryan Gosling in ‘Drive.’ Photo Credit: Richard Foreman Jr. SMPSP.
Driver (Ryan Gosling) is a skilled Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals. Though he projects an icy exterior, lately he’s been warming up to a pretty neighbor named Irene (Carey Mulligan) and her young son, Benicio (Kaden Leos). When Irene’s husband (Oscar Isaac) gets out of jail, he enlists Driver’s help in a million-dollar heist. The job goes horribly wrong, and Driver must risk his life to protect Irene and Benicio from the vengeful masterminds behind the robbery.
Opening in theaters in Brooklyn, New York on September 15th and in Los Angeles, California on September 22nd is the new crime-thriller ‘My Last Best Friend,’ which was written and directed by first time feature filmmaker Filippo M. Prandi.
What is the plot of ‘’My Last Best Friend’?
Set in New York City in March and April of 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, two men (Eric Roberts), both named Walter Stoyanov, watch their lives getting turned upside down, as one of them falls ill and the other one is being investigated by FBI Special Agent John McCallany (Rico Simonini).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with acclaimed veteran actor Eric Roberts about his new film ‘My Last Best Friend,’ his first reaction to the screenplay, the challenge of playing two characters, his acting process, Walter’s relationship with his son, and why he enjoyed working with director Filippo M. Prandi.
Eric Roberts in a scene from ‘My Last Best Friend.’ Photo courtesy Majox Films.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.
Moviefone: To begin with, what your first reaction to reading this screenplay, and what were some of the themes of the movie you were excited to explore with these characters?
Eric Roberts: Well, I’m not that intelligent or heavy-handed to follow a theme. What happened was I got offered the script to play two guys who talked to each other and are different people. That was a challenge I’d never been offered before, so I took it. I had a good little leader, Filippo, and he wrote, he directed it and he was a great leader. It was a very difficult challenge and you have to succeed at this challenge 100% because if you’re off even a little bit, you’re off. It takes all the illusion away, so you have to really hit it. So I said yes to this movie because of that challenge. And I had a good time doing it.
MF: Can you elaborate on the challenges of playing two separate characters in the same scene, as well as the technical challenges of acting opposite yourself?
ER: Well, the technical aspect is very difficult because you have to have a different physicality. You have to breathe at a different rate. You have to speak in a different cadence. You have to have a different tone of voice. You have to be very aware that you cannot repeat yourself on the other side of that situation. If I had a month, I know I would’ve been brilliant. I had a week and it was hard. But once again, I had a formidable leader. Filippo was fantastic, and he took care of me.
MF: With such little time to prepare, how did you approach playing these two distinct characters?
ER: When I have very little time and a very difficult process, I find when I’m sleep-deprived, I am my most honest self, to my art and to myself. So I find if I don’t sleep for about 40 hours, I will open up a part of my brain that can take all this in at face value and accept it. Accept it as fact, so I can then act it as if it were fact, even though we all know I’m just fooling you.
Eric Roberts in a scene from ‘My Last Best Friend.’ Photo courtesy Majox Films.
MF: Have you always worked that way or is that an evolution of your acting process that’s come in recent years?
ER: I think it’s always been something I’ve done, but I did it instinctively without understanding what I was doing in my early days. Now as a grownup, I understand what I’m doing.
MF: Can you talk about Walter’s estranged relationship with his son?
ER: Well, the son is a symbol of the self when it tries to reproduce, to live forever. It just doesn’t work that way. That was a symbol of how that happens, and or doesn’t. So that’s just part of our story, which is a little piece of mankind.
MF: The movie takes place in the early days of the pandemic, was it emotionally difficult revisiting that time?
ER: It was so hard. COVID, well, it changed the whole world. I mean, so many people lost their fortunes, lost their business, lost their jobs, all because of COVID. So that became part of it in the movie and around the movie. It became almost like, what, are we doing a movie about current events? Because it was so overlapping. It was so hard for us to shoot but we kept shooting. It was weird, and it was hard. But I had a good leader, once again, I want to really emphasize Filippo, he was dynamite.
Eric Roberts in a scene from ‘My Last Best Friend.’ Photo courtesy Majox Films.
MF: Can you talk about why you enjoyed working with director Filippo M. Prandi so much?
ER: Well, you have to remember, every script is his author’s baby. It is his infant that he breathes life into, and then you teach it how to walk and talk. But it’s his infant. So you have to understand that. You can’t say your infant is a mess. You can never do that. Only his infant wasn’t a mess and I liked it. So I allowed him to be my total guide, my mother, and my translator. I allowed that and he lived up to it. I would recommend Filippo to any actor as a director. He’s fantastic. When something is somebody’s baby, you have to trust that they understand what the DNA is made of and that they will guide you properly. When it happens, it happens incredibly well. As I believe it happened with this movie.
MF: Speaking of directors, what was your experience like working with Christopher Nolan on ‘The Dark Knight’?
ER: Well, let me tell you, my favorite note I’ve ever gotten from a director on set was in that movie from Chris Nolan. I was doing a scene in a restaurant, and I have a very funny line at the end of the scene. I say the line and Chris Nolan calls, “Cut.” Really loud. He goes, “Eric, don’t be funny.” Okay, so I wasn’t funny. But it’s my favorite note. Oh, he’s a lovely man. A sweetie pie. He knows what he wants, when he wants it, and how he wants it. You can make up a question, and he’ll have a real answer. He’s a genius. That’s an overused and abused word that has no meaning anymore. But he is one of those. Also, Our cinematographer was incredible, Wally Pfister. Look at that movie visually. It’s incredible.
Heath Ledger as the Joker in ‘The Dark Knight.’ Photo: Warner Bros.
MF: You have an unforgettable scene at the beginning of that movie where the Joker confronts your character, Sal Maroni and the other gangsters. What was it like shooting that scene and working with Heath Ledger?
ER: Heath was a joy. He was really sweet, really kind, really considerate. In fact, when he walked on the set that day, we had a quick run through of lines, and it’s a two-page monologue he’s got. He went through the monologue and he stopped. He turned and he looked at the table and he said, “How am I doing?” I said, “You’re doing great, dude.” He was likable, and he was approachable. He was lovely and it’s a big loss.
MF: You also got to work with director Paul Thomas Anderson on ‘Inherent Vice.’ What was that experience like for you?
ER: Paul Thomas Anderson is very specific and he’s very quiet. Be prepared for a long day, even if you have no dialogue, because all his days are long. He’s wonderfully specific, you know exactly what he wants when he turns the camera on, which is a joy to have.
MF: Is it helpful as an actor to work with a director who is that specific?
ER: Well, it can be A or it can be Z. It all depends on the project and the character. It all depends on your relationship with the director through that character. So it all depends on a lot of stuff. But for the most part, it’s great to have a boss who knows why he’s the boss. “I want this from you.” You say, “You got it, boss.”
Al Pacino as Michael Corleone in ‘The Godfather.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.
MF: Finally, can you confirm or deny something for us? There has been a long standing rumor that in the late 70’s or early 80’s, Paramount Pictures was considering doing an unmade version of ‘The Godfather Part III’ without Francis Ford Coppola that would have seen you starring as an adult version of Michael Corleone’s son, Anthony? Is that true?
ER: I heard about it, like you heard about it. “Oh really? Wow. Is that true? Am I being considered for that? How cool is that?” So I don’t know. But supposedly, yes. Who knows?
Eric Roberts in a scene from ‘My Last Best Friend.’ Photo courtesy Majox Films.
