TV REVIEW: Breaking Bad

           
*************  SPOILERS AHEAD****************

As you know, I hate the synopsis as part of the review format.  When I read a review, I want to know if the piece in question was good. I don't need or want you to Cliff Notes the story for me.

In the case of this review, it is more of a sharing of opinion with those who have seen the show. If you haven't seen it, besides suffering spoilers, you will also not understand who or what I am talking about for the most part. Check back in once you've watched the show from start to finish. I recommend you do this in a few consecutive sittings for maximum effect.

Well, here it is: my foray into breaking down Breaking Bad.


Is the show really that great?

For me, and I can only speak for myself, it is.  My reasoning for this is very simple. A great television show is one that is maximally compelling and entertaining. Breaking Bad rates a 10/10 on both fronts. The story reels you in, dangles you around for a while, but never lets you go. There are some plot holes, but the script is remarkable, the characters so well-drawn, the dialogue so honest. And the actors? They are gonna have a hard time topping these performances.

What really drove me, though, was the relationship between Jesse and Walt. They are teacher and student, father and son, criminal and accomplice, master manipulator and prey. Infuriating, tragic, touching, and terrible, this relationship is one you can't easily forget. It is hard to imagine that the Jesse character was actually supposed to be killed off early in the series. I don't think Breaking Bad would have meant much of anything to me without the unsettling symbiosis that was Jesse and Walt. However, there were many memorable characters and performances.

The Characters

Walter White

Bryan Cranston has plenty of awards and an email from Anthony Hopkins calling his performance "the best acting I have seen--ever." So, there you go.

One of the big questions for anyone watching the show is: when did you stop rooting for Walt? He pretty much lost me when he let Jesse's girlfriend drown in her own vomit, but I would continue to occasionally like or appreciate something he did. The 'liking' usually had to do with his somehow protecting Jesse, and the 'appreciation' usually had to do with his smartypants MacGyvering or his killing of characters that I really hated. But even though I might have liked this or appreciated that, I was not rooting for Walt. Thanks, Walt, for getting Jesse to rehab, thanks for killing those assholes you killed, but I still hope you get your ass caught in a big way. That was my feeling toward Walt.

I can sympathize with his being a very smart man and never truly being valued or respected for that. I can also sympathize with Walt for feeling that he'd been dealt a pretty crappy hand in life. But when Heisenberg comes out---he is (as Jesse says) The Devil.  He enjoys the role of kingpin and does not seem to feel any genuine remorse.  His every move is self-serving. He lies and manipulates and betrays the trust of every single person in his life.

I do feel he redeemed himself a tiny bit in the end, again by killing some other monsters (I know bloodlust and redemption don't really go together), also by saving Jesse, by turning down a deal for the money, and by finally speaking the truth to Skyler: he did what he did because he liked it.

Jesse Pinkman

Jesse is that lovable kid who sat behind you in Bio---when he actually showed up to class. You know the one. He was most often out under the bleachers getting high. He was also kind of dumb (or maybe that was just the dope), but he was funny and nice and if someone was picking on one of the disabled kids at school he would speak up and say, "Hey---that's not cool man. Chill out." And you would smile to yourself and think, "He's pretty much a loser, but he's awfully sweet."

While Walt was busy making a career of manipulating Jesse, Jesse seemed to be making a career of letting him. It drove me crazy and I was practically euphoric when he finally exploded and showed that he understood  exactly what Walt had been doing to him.

As Walt's true character leaks and out and shows you that he is evil, Jesse's leaks out and shows you that he is not only smarter than you gave him credit for, he's also remarkably loyal (and not in the self-serving Walt kind of way). But the biggest thing about Jesse? He has his own moral code. He is deeply remorseful when he breaks it, and he has a solid line that he will not cross, even under threat of death. And he proves this more than once. He's more than just "awfully sweet", he is convicted.

I loved Jesse. He was absolutely the heart of the show for me. He was always the one I was rooting for, and he was also the one I cried for. Aaron Paul's emotional breakdown scenes were just heartbreaking.

Hank Schrader

Dean Norris. How did he not get nominated for an Emmy? That's insane. Right from the get-go, I thought his performance was remarkable. He NAILED his character.

Hank is the man. He never wavers. He is the guy who still has passion for his work, loves his wife through her issues, embraces her sister, and her sister's husband, and their children. He is just a good man.

Walt is a monster for contributing to Hank's death, but I do believe he would have done anything to save Hank in the end. How could he not?

And Everyone Else

Gus is a good time. You just can't help but enjoy his calm, cool, collected, demeanor. Part of you wants to believe that he is the guy who is somehow able to run a criminal empire in a professional and ethical manner. But the rest of you knows that is not possible, and that somewhere, sometime, a ruthless killer is going to emerge. And boy, that happens in a big, big way with Victor.

Tuco. What a maniac. Couldn't wait to see him get his due. And the same for his cousins, Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Good riddance.

Mike. Well, you gotta love him on some level. He's very good at his job.

Todd is scary. And so is his uncle.

Saul provides comic relief.

Lydia is so annoying that I wanted to poison her myself.

Hector Salamanca is another example of really great acting: ding, ding, ding.

And last, but far from least, Anna Gunn does a great job as Skyler. She's never your favorite, but her character is so well-written and her performance is so nuanced and shows such depth and deftness and range.

The End

Well, it certainly wasn't the outcome I was hoping for (Hank's death was a big blow, and Jesse's captivity was beyond disturbing), but everything did seem fitting and right in the end. In no way did I feel that there was a better ending. I believed that this was the ending. And that means they did a good job.

NEW REVIEW: Gravity

In order to explain my review of Gravity, I have to talk a little bit about Avatar. 

Long, long ago, in 2009, James Cameron's Avatar was touted to be 1) the pinnacle of 3D films and  2) an amazing film experience not to be missed. Somehow, I didn't exactly get the point that statement #2 was inextricably linked to statement #1. Inextricably. Well, I saw the non-3D version of Avatar.  I really don't have any particular interest in 3D, so my clearly poor decision made sense to me at the time.

 As it turns out, Avatar suffered from a plot and script which I am pretty sure came from an 8th grader that James Cameron secretly had on staff.  So, for those of us who made the dumb-dumb-dumb decision to see it without the 3D, the experience was less than amazing. A lot less. And that brings me to Gravity.

I was not going to make the same mistake again, particularly when I read a few reviews that also indicated that Gravity lacked a decent script. Some people took issue with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as actors, others more pointedly disliked the characterizations. I got the point this time: see it for the 3D. So, I did.

From that perspective, Gravity is really enjoyable. I can't say it suffers from a bad plot. It's a very simple plot, and that's really all that it needs to be. The film is quite beautiful. I don't know (or care) about 3D technology, but I am going to take a stab here and say that a possible measure of success is when a viewer becomes completely unaware of the 3D, and is, rather, just immersed in the experience. Gravity was very successful for me in this respect. I was, for the most part, blissfully unaware of the 3D. I was, instead, very much 'inside' the space experience. And being in space is both nerve-wracking and cool, so that makes for a fun movie-going adventure.

As for the script, it could have been much better. George Clooney's character was tired and cliche, but possibly befitting a super-cool-astronaut-guy. I was fine with Sandra Bullock. Again, the script didn't do her any favors, but her acting was reasonably good. Her body, on the other hand, was quite impressive.

Overall, it was a good time at the show. The immediate response is pretty "WOW", but it doesn't last. I'll forget about it by next month, but I'm glad I saw it.

NEW REVIEW: The Attack

I thought that this movie was going to be more of a thriller. But it was really more of a glimpse into a world that I will never in a million years begin to understand.

Dr. Amin Jaafari kisses his wife of 15 years goodbye, sends her on a bus to go visit a relative, then goes off to receive his big medical award for being Surgeon-of-the-Year (or something like that). During his acceptance speech he speaks about being the first Arab to receive this award. Dr. Jaafari lives and works in Tel Aviv.

Next day, lunchtime--BOOM--explosion somewhere in town---bloody bodies coming into the hospital for care. Children crying. One man refuses treatment from Dr. Jaafari (presumably because he is an Arab). Reports surface of a suicide bomber at a local restaurant.  And guess who the authorities suspect is responsible? Siham Jaafari, the doctor's wife.

The doctor is outraged and 100% sure his wife had nothing to do with this. I was 100% sure she had nothing to do with this. But this is a movie that is going to try to explain, just a little bit, how someone who seems pretty normal can become a suicide bomber.

What I liked:

1. I learned a bit more about life in The Territories. (I really can't even read about the conflicts because I get confused and don't know what to think. I hate that feeling of never being able to distinguish right from wrong and truth from lies).
2. I saw the spectrum of people from those who seemed like crazed fanatics to those who completely avoided involvement (like Amin). And then there are all those in the middle ranging from people who simply sympathize with the resistance to those that are actively engaged in resistance, yet don't actually seem crazy.

In truth, this was a depressing film. I just felt hopeless for the people there. I just don't see any way out.

That doesn't mean it wasn't an interesting movie. You should just be prepared for the feeling you will be left with. Still, it's always a good thing to be reminded of other people's realities.

NEW MOVIE REVIEW: Blackfish

I am not a 'Save the Whales' person, nor am I any kind of activist for animals, much less anything else. I'm sure I should be, but I'm not. I tell you this just so you don't feel that you have to have this area of interest in order to enjoy this film.

By 'enjoy', of course, I don't mean 'have a jolly time.' I mean 'have a worthwhile experience that makes you feel your time and money were well-spent.' Maybe 'appreciate' would have been a better choice of word. Anyhow, the film is a good one. Very thought-provoking.

For one thing, I never really gave SeaWorld much thought. I think I saw one of those dolphin/whale shows many years ago, but, frankly, it was never really of great interest to me, so I didn't think about it much. I don't really like the circus at all, and I think carting animals all across the country in cages to do shows is a bad idea, but I never gave a second thought to the marine-life shows.

Blackfish does a very good job of capturing your interest regardless of whether or not the subject interested you before. It moves compellingly along weaving historical information with recent events and the stories of the lives of whales as told by their human trainers and researchers. I quite enjoyed learning about the natural tendencies of the orcas in the wild. Did you know they travel with their moms for life? You couldn't help but feel the love for these intelligent, social, community-oriented beings.

And speaking of love, there are several truly poignant interviews with trainers. You can see how deeply bonded they become to these whales. It is heartbreaking to hear some of the stories of how a young person comes so enthusiastically into the training system yet learns over time that it just doesn't feel right. The film presents its case clearly, simply, and engagingly.

After seeing Blackfish, despite the arguments presented by SeaWorld, I can now say, unequivocally, the whale shows are a bad idea. I gather that SeaWorld does a lot of work to raise awareness of marine mammals and to raise money for rescue and research. Those are great things, and donations can be made specifically to the sub-division in SeaWorld that focuses on those things, but I can no longer see supporting the entertainment division, ever, at all. They can get into the whale-watching business or some other program whereby you can observe the orcas in their natural habitat, but Seaworld needs to be pressured into stopping the breeding of whales into captivity for the purpose of these shows. It's really disturbing.

I feel like this documentary is an eye-opener that pretty much anyone will find compelling. I'd like you to check it out.

TV-DVD REVIEW: The Wire (Season 1)

The Wire is considered by more than a few critics to be the best drama ever produced for television. I sincerely apologize for having watched this show a decade late. For that, I offer the lame excuse that I haven't had HBO at home in forever. If you want to see a truly affecting bit of television, I encourage you to check out The Wire. AND---this is important---do not be put off by the first episode. It is very hard to become involved in the story at the outset, but pushing through will make it all worthwhile in the end. Unlike your usual police procedural where cases are solved in one hour, The Wire takes the entire season to semi-resolve one case in the Baltimore drug-trade.

Forbes listed Baltimore as the seventh most dangerous city in the country. I grew-up in Oakland, which is listed at number three. On 99th avenue, our neighborhood boasted, at the very least, a pedophile, 2 drug dealers, a teenage thief, and a couple of women who tried to shoot and kill their men. I'm sure there was more going on that I didn't even know about. And yet, as far as Oakland goes, my family did not live in the really bad neighborhood. That distinction probably belonged to 'The Projects', which is equivalent to the area featured in The Wire.

During the first episode, I was mostly just confused. Quite honestly, I couldn't even understand half of what was being said. The drug dealers were speaking a language of their own and I couldn't really get a handle on all of the characters. I can easily understand why this show, while critically acclaimed, was not a popular success. It is so much better to watch the episodes in rapid succession. By the fourth or fifth episode I was very interested, and by the end I was fully vested. The show forgoes the quick pay-off, and in so doing, ensures the immensity of the pay-off as a whole.

If I had to state the two primary reasons why The Wire is so affecting, they would be 1) the detail afforded in focusing on a single case over a whole season and 2) a brilliant (and large) cast to whom you become very attached.  Days later, I still think of D'Angelo and Wallace, Bubbles, Omar, Lester, and Lt. Daniels. I think about Oakland and Baltimore and Detroit and all the cities where the cultural result of being both poor and black is entrenched and seemingly endless. And I think about the fact that like most people, I am afraid to live anywhere near there. So, we all just move away.

I think about the police who have an impossible job. I think about the parents and teachers who have an impossible job. I think about the kids who might be saved from this disaster. I think about the media, the politics, the hopelessness. And all that thinking, I suppose, is what is so great about a show like The Wire. It at least forces you to remember what you are running from. It reminds you that hell is a relatively short drive away from your house, and it reminds you that real-live people live and work there.

Boy, that all sounds depressing. So, is this really television entertainment? It is. It's not the shocking and amusing microcosm of, for example, The Sopranos, but it is equally engaging. It is a police procedural of sorts, and we know how beloved those are. It's just also quite a bit more than that.

NEW REVIEW: The Great Gatsby

At the risk of sounding like an illiterate boob, I somehow managed to miss reading the novel. Yes, I did complete high school. I just somehow managed to avoid Fitzgerald completely. I think during those years, when I came to despise Hemingway, I lumped Fitzgerald in with him. Now that I'm a grown-up, I should probably re-think that.

Anyway, as you may be aware, the most well-known film adaptation was made in the 1970's and starred Robert Redford. The movie got a lot of flack at the time, but actually there has been some backpeddling since then. People now seem to give it a little more credit. Not really knowing the story, when I saw this version, I enjoyed it. Mia Farrow makes you want to stab your eye with a fork just a little bit, but I enjoyed Robert Redford. Cut to Baz Lurhmann and a LOT of flack, once again.

I have come to the conclusion that, when it comes to movie-making, no one is going to be able to please a majority of people where this book is concerned. There have been a lot of negative reviews. Maybe it is just one of those books that doesn't translate to film. However, there have also been some very positive reviews.
One thing that seems to be agreed upon by most is that Leonardo DiCaprio does a great job in the leading role. I'd very much agree with that. I found his characterization much more nuanced and complex than the Robert Redford version. I also really thought Tobey Maguire was great as Nick Carraway.

The big polarizer here is, of course, director Baz Luhrmann. Although this film is not a musical, it is very Moulin Rogue-y in spots. Whereas I truly love Moulin Rouge, some people find it garish and sappy and all kinds of unpleasant things. Bottomline: If you like Luhrmann, you'll probably enjoy The Great Gatsby.

I loved the Baz-touch. I think the film is stunning...another sparkling jewel. The 3D took a little getting used to, but once I adjusted, it was actually really cool. The Jay-Z music was apparently a real problem for some critics and viewers, but, honestly, they must be very sensitive. It was barely noticeable to me. And despite all the Baz-y goings-on, the very tragic story remained intact. And I do love the story.

I give this two big Roger Ebert thumbs-up. I'm definitely planning to see it one more time.

SURPRISE RENTAL RECOMMENDATIONS: The Crow and Dark City

Both of these films were directed by Alex Proyas---so, apparently he knows how to catch my interest. The thing is, I would never have independently chosen to watch either of these films. Yet, I certainly enjoyed them.

The Crow always struck me as sort of a "B" movie that garnered most of its attention from the fact that its star, Brandon Lee (Bruce's son), was tragically killed on set in a terrible accident. However, in watching it---which I truly did not want to do---I was completely (and quite surprisingly) taken with it. It is by no means perfect. It's corny in spots. The acting, overall, is not great. The story is kind of hokey, if I have to be really honest. But Brandon Lee's performance is truly engaging and endearing, and the directing is....awesome.  I was just completely taken with the look of the film and the way scenes were shot.  I also really enjoyed the look of the characters, especially some of the 'bad guys'. In some ways it's like an extended music video from the golden age of MTV. It's just way better.

I haven't seen the film recently, so I'm not sure how well it holds up to the test of time, but I'd recommend checking it out. Dark City, on the other hand, probably holds up well over time.

I definitely would not have chosen to see this film on my own volition. I owe this one to the late, great Roger Ebert. He ranked it as numero uno on his list of the top ten films of 1998. He piqued my curiosity with this uncommon choice.

This is a dark movie, both literally and figuratively. During some scenes I actually felt I was struggling to see. The movie is sci-fi, but has a period piece feel. I sometimes go for the latter genre, but rarely go for the former, hence my surprise at how much I liked this movie. Acting-wise, the leads do a good job. Kieffer Sutherland gives a weird, almost goofy performance, but he's quite enjoyable. Again, the direction makes the film quite engrossing. It's a very interesting looking film. Also in common with The Crow, the look of the 'bad guys' was kind of enchanting in that dark sort of way. I love the end of the movie. It has a Planet of the Apes-ish pay-off.

So, you may want to give these two films a shot, though I suspect they may fall into in the 'love 'em or hate 'em' category. But I think that mostly applies to your tolerance for 'dark', if ya get my meaning.

Let me know what you think!

NEW REVIEW: Bless Me, Ultima

Bless Me, Ultima is an adaptation of the classic Chicano novel of the same name written in 1972 by Rudolph Anaya.  Although I'd never read the book, I'd heard of it because it is assigned reading in some schools...and has been subsequently banned in others.

In seeing this film, it is extremely hard to imagine what on earth could have been offensive enough to get this poignant and spiritual tale banned from schools. From what I've read, parents apparently had concerns about the language and sexual references. As far as the film goes, there is nothing to be concerned about. I'd feel perfectly comfortable taking a ten year old to see it, although they might not fully appreciate it.

The story takes place at the time of WWII in rural New Mexico. The filming and scenes of the dry, but beautiful landscapes set a great atmosphere. The dramatic tale of family conflict, community conflict, and spiritual conflict is made powerful by its subtlety. The coming-of age feels believable and even monumental in a way. And the scenes of Tony and his school friends are funny and touching, as well genuine, in recalling those universal moments of boyhood.

The true highlights of this film, though, are the main characters as they are portrayed by Luke Ganalon and Miriam Colon. Luke plays Tony, a bright and thoughtful six year old who forms a special bond with an elderly curandera (think 'medicine-woman'), Ultima (Colon).

The faces of these two actors are almost heartbreakingly beautiful: Tony's radiating angelic innocence and Ultima's radiating strength and wisdom. A close-up of each of their faces elicited such surprisingly strong feelings in me. That's a very special gift.

If there was any downside to the film, I felt that some of the supporting actors were a bit weak. Although, I thought that Dolores Heredia, who played Tony's mother, was great. Also, the story is mystical and spiritual, which isn't something some people can wrap their heads around. Still, my sis and I both really enjoyed this. As a matter of fact, I'd see it again. Message me, if you wanna go!

NEW REVIEW: Lincoln

Most critics have raved about Lincoln. A few others have called it boring. One reviewer talked about the stellar acting, writing, film production, but cautioned that you shouldn't expect to become "involved" in it. To which I respectfully respond: Are you F-ing kidding me?

My sister read somewhere that Lincoln was the third most written about figure in history, behind Jesus and Shakespeare (Now, there's a weird group).  It's Lincoln, for god's sake: the man, the myth, the audio-animatronic guy at Disneyland.  How can you possibly find him boring? Geez, didn't you cry when you visited the Lincoln Monument?

But beyond even the man himself, it is the sheer enormity of the subject matter that makes it impossible not to become involved in this film.  And without scenes of active battle or of the brutality of slavery, it manages to blow your mind with that enormity. It is emotionally overwhelming. And I have a sogged-out scarf to offer as evidence. (Not to worry---tears only. I was able to do the nose-blowing into a popcorn napkin). 

And to those who want to quibble about historical accuracy: does it really matter here? Greater minds than ours, who have devoted their lives to the study of history, have argued about the facts of the Civil War. Save it for them.  The importance of this film, as with Spielberg's Schindler's List, is in its ability to bring you to a place of mindful, and  profoundly emotional, connection to these extraordinary events in history. 

Everyone who is frustrated with politics and politicians should see this film. Government is not an entity. It is people. And people, unevolved as we are, fight it out, bend the truth, and, at times, compromise our own morality to move forward. This is a film about that compromise. And through the lies, the backroom shenanigans, and the under-the-table handshaking that is politics, there may still be a move toward the greater good. And you either believe that, or you give up. 

Thankfully, the movie's incredible tension (yes, even though we all know the outcome, it is still quite tense) is frequently cut by some great lines that made the audience laugh out loud. Tommy Lee Jones is a real hoot and Sally Field is terrific.  There are, interspersed, great scenes of humor, love, and heartbreak to help bring these historic figures to life. 

And speaking of bringing someone to life, Daniel Day-Lewis, as expected, is ...uh, Lincoln. He just is. The monument cracked open, and Abraham, thanks to the magic of cryogenics, walked down the giant steps and right into your local movie theater. Get there, before he heads back to D.C.

FINALLY!! Another Book Review: Gone Girl

So, the title says it all.

HAHAHA. Not hardly, honey. But I don't want to say much more, as that would spoil your fun. This book has spent many weeks at the top of best sellers' lists, so you don't really need me to say that it's a good read. But, it's a gooooood read.

Like most truly good books, it sticks with you for awhile. This one makes for clever inside jokes between you and your fellow readers. My sister and I spent a weekend together and made frequent references to our new 'friends' Nick and Amy. It's been weeks since I read it, but I still chuckle to myself on their behalf.

Now, that last statement might be misleading. This is not a comedic book, but it has these moments of very dark humor. It also has elements of relationship drama, mystery, romance, and even a little horror. It's quite a package.

I read one review on Goodreads from a reader who said she had such a hard time getting through the first half of the book. She kept having to put it away and then give it another try. I honestly find that statement confounding. I was interested all the way through. I found the characters to be very easy to relate to. (Uh oh, what does that say about me?). In fact, what I loved most about the writing was that so many of the thoughts of the characters rang true for me. I thought the author really nailed the machinations of the male and female psyche. She did a fabulous job of illustrating how a man and a woman can be experiencing the same events in a relationship, but interpret them completely differently.

Again, I must plead with you not to misunderstand. This is nowhere in the realm of a 'relationship' book. It's far more entertaining. But the relationship drives the story and, for me, this is where the writer showed her skill.

If you decide to give it a try, please share your thoughts. I'm curious to know your opinion.

And for my sister's pleasure:

  I wish my wife would come back home.