From the New York Times, this is the interview.

I'm David Markezy.

Sean Penn's new movie, One Battle After Another, is tough to pin down.

Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and co-starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tiana Taylor,

it's about radicals on the run in an America that looks very much like our own.

The movie is politically charged, and it's also spiked with moments of weird humor, anger, and a lot of heart.

I think it's going to cause all sorts of reactions.

Which makes it a perfect fit for Sean Penn,

because the actor is also, in his own way, a kind of provocateur.

He's always willing to stir up strong feelings and make things happen.

He does that in his acting, of course.

He's won Academy Awards for his work in Mystic River and Milk. He does it in his acting, of course. He's won Academy Awards for his work in Mystic River

and Milk. He does it in his occasional somewhat gonzo journalism, and he's also done it as an outspoken

advocate for his liberal political views. That swaggering approach to life has caused more

than its share of skeptical eye roles in his direction, but it is hard to doubt Penn's

commitment to world affairs. The best proof of that is his long-running humanitarian aid group called

KOR, which lends on-the-ground help in places like Haiti, Sudan, and even here in the United

States. I spoke with Penn a few weeks ago at his home in Malibu. We talked in a room surrounded by personal memorabilia,

ranging from photos of family and his famous friends

to an impressive and, frankly, daunting collection of knives.

His big dog wandered in and out of the room,

and the smoke from his cigarettes lingered in the air.

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