
In a typical movie, Bob would be the hero and Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw – Sean Penn’s over-the-top, intensely macho villain – would be the bad guy. Lockjaw is a ridiculously exaggerated character, physically imposing and moving like a puppet. Bob, often seen in a worn bathrobe, wildly flailing and crawling around, fits right into the string of flawed characters Leonardo DiCaprio has been playing lately. Penn delivers one of his best performances in years – his expression in an early scene, gazing at something with a mix of shock and pride, is award-worthy. However, director Paul Thomas Anderson shows us that both men are actually just misguided figures, small players at the mercy of larger forces. They both share a fascination with Perfidia Beverly Hills (played by Teyana Taylor), a captivating and powerful woman who leads a militant group while pregnant. Perfidia truly feels like the main character, and she effortlessly leaves both men behind, even abandoning her baby with Bob when she leaves.