Warning: there are plot spoliers ahead…
I saw this film with a friend and his immediate, post-viewing, reaction was to say “What a stupid film!” My thoughts were not so negative. I would have said “What a strange film.” That remains my summary, so if you’re not interested in any more information, you can stop reading now.
Plot
Once upon a time, there was a reactionary group – what many would describe as terrorists – called French 75. Their standard activity was to attack immigration processing centers near the USA/Mexico border, overpower the guards, and release the potential (or about-to-be-deported) immigrants. They also were engaged in bombing establishment locations such as courts. Their backup activity, presumably to finance their other attacks, was to rob banks.
In the midst of a bombing operation, the prime female activist Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) is caught by Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) whom she humiliated in one of the group’s previous raids. But, instead of taking her into custody, Lockjaw becomes her lover. The sex between these two seems to be a role reversal for the Lockjaw who is controlled by the dominant, vibrant Hills.
Hills is also in a relationship with her fellow reactionary Bob Ferguson (Leonardo DiCaprio). Hills falls pregnant and gives birth to a baby girl, named Willa.
Hills keeps up both relationships, apparently, until, amidst a bank robbery, she kills a security guard and is caught while trying to escape. Lockjaw offers to protect her if she will rat out the rest of the band. She duly gives up her accomplices and is rewarded with witness protection and a safe hiding place. However, when Lockjaw comes-a-courting, Hills has fled. She leaves Lockjaw in the lurch and Ferguson flees along with Willa. The rest of the group also escapes.
Fast forward 15 years and Lockjaw is offered entry into a covert White-Supremacist group. However, to gain final admittance, he has to pass a deep-dive background check to ensure his racial purity. It would seem that Lockjaw realizes Willa (Chase Infiniti) might be his daughter and therefore block his entry into the group. So, he goes on the rampage to track down Ferguson and, ultimately Willa.
At this point, Ferguson and Willa become akin to the immigrants they worked to release, going on the run using an underground network.
Then, Lockjaw’s White supremacist buddies discover his skeleton in the closet and decide a cleanup is required.
From here, the hunting, the chase, the capture, and the bloody finale come on fast.
Reflections
Overall, I thought it was a strange film, because it couldn’t make its mind up about what message it was trying to tell or what story it wanted to showcase. Was this a film about how illegal immigrants in the USA are treated, how some revolutionaries never grow up, how parenting changes you, how belief systems are passed on to the next generation, how single parenting fathers struggle to bring up daughters, how absent mothers suffer for their acts, or how White supremacists are embedded in USA society? I’m going to take a guess and say the film was probably trying to do all of these elements justice and so, it tried to do too much.
Also, I wasn’t comfortable with Hills’ story being that she runs away, never to see her daughter again. That point of detail didn’t convince me.
On the plus side, DiCaprio is pitch perfect in his role. Whoever decided he should wear what appears to be a dressing gown in some of the key sequences deserves a prize. That little touch ensured he wouldn’t appear as another reluctant action hero. Instead, he’s a washed out revolutionary (or is it anarchist) struggling in his battles against the outside world.
Similarly, Penn gives an outstanding performance, presenting the weird, evil Lockjaw with the right mix of insecurity and bravado. Plaudits for excellent performances are also due to Infiniti and Benicio del Toro, the latter playing the part of Ferguson’s karate sensei and escape assistant.
The soundratck did not intrude. The cinematography was fine, with several simply beautful backdrops balancing the action stuff. There was one camera shot in the car-chase finale that seemed redundant – showing the point of view of someone in a car going up and down these deep valley roads – until its presence was fully explained and justified by the trap Willa sets.
Conclusion
As I said above, it’s a strange film. I’d rate it as a 6.5 or 7/10, but be aware that the latest IMDB rating is 8.3. Clearly some people enjoyed it. I wouldn’t say this is a film you must see, but if you go with an open mind, you may find some thought provoking moments stick in your consciousness. Not bad. Not great, but not bad. Yes, strange is the word.