The first trailer for Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, was released last week and Sarah wrote in that post I just linked to that Leo is “one of our great actors” with “a range big enough that everyone has their favorite Leo”. I don’t often disagree with Sarah on movies and actors because that’s her department, but I’ve always been in the minority where Leo’s hype is concerned. I’m not saying he’s unwatchable – of course not, he’s a good actor, but I think his versatility is overrated. 

 

If we’re talking about his contemporaries, in my opinion, Bradley Cooper has more range and BCoop can do unhinged too. Whatever Leo is bringing in One Battle After Another, let me just remind you of what Bradley gave us in Licorice Pizza. I said what I said…even though I’m not in the business of caping for Bradley Cooper FFS but the whole “Leo is king” thing bites my ass because in my rankings, he actually falls behind BCoop and Ryan Gosling and also Jake Gyllenhaal. 

 

This is why I was eyerolling a bit when catching up on all the online excitement last week with the One Battle After Another previews and also yesterday when Leo showed up at CinemaCon to promote the movie. I understand the general intrigue over his first collaboration with PTA but what he’s showing in the trailer doesn’t feel fresh to me, sorry, we can fight about this over at The Squawk. 

 

For me, then, the big draw with One Battle After Another is Teyana Taylor. She was SO F-CKING GOOD in A Thousand and One a couple of years ago and that performance definitely helped her get noticed by more casting directors in Hollywood – and now we’re talking about her in a PTA film. Putting her in action mode here adds another dimension to her range, from singing and dancing to drama and prestige Black comedy action satire, Teyana’s talents are emerging in the mainstream. 

Also, in her personal life, I mean she has some frustrations, one of them being that people still want to talk about her divorce when, well, in case you haven’t heard, Teyana is now with Aaron Pierre. Let her get her “back blown out in peace”! LOOOOOLLLL FOREVER. 

Seriously, she has a point. Aaron Pierre is blowing out her back, whyyyyyy would she be thinking about her ex?! I’m sorry I missed this a couple of weeks ago when I was in Korea but I would not be doing my duty if I didn’t make sure this had a place on our website. 

 

 

Will you be seeing One Battle for Leo or Teyana? Let's fight it out at The Squawk. (App link here)