Breaking Bad - Season 5, Episode 11, 'Confessions' - Review

'We've got a big problem.'

I'll start by saying one thing; based on the main conflicts of this episode alone, we're in for a season finale that will have to try very, very hard to disappoint. 'Confessions' was just about as close to perfection as TV drama can possibly get. All of this praise is focused on two arcs in particular.

The first was Hank and Marie's conflict with Walt (and, admittedly Skyler). Before the four meet up we see a brief clip of Walt sitting before a video camera, apparently confessing his crimes, but before we can see the rest of the clip the two factions that are the White's and the Schrader's meet up for dinner, in one of the most sublimely executed scenes in the season so far. In a scene of this contextual magnitude there's obviously a lot of pressure on the director and the writer to pull it off, but it was done with spectacular control. The tension between the two sides was almost unbearable, made all the more hilarious by the frequently returning appearance of an innocent waiter who's just trying to be a genuinely nice guy. On a minor side note, that's three for three on the inclusion of a blackly comic moment in every episode of this season so far, the other two being 1) Badger's Star Trek script, and 2) Huell and Kuby's bed of money. But the scene quickly returned to it's deeply gritty nature with Walt pushing the disc across the table towards Hank and Marie. Of course, I was convinced; I genuinely thought Walt would be confessing, but no such luck.

No, Hank and Marie stand like tall in front of the television screen before effectively transforming into unwilling puppets. Walt's 'confession' consists of 'revealing' that it is, indeed, Hank who is actually the infamous drug lord that the DEA have been unsuccessfully chasing down for the better part of the last year. Not only this, but Walt makes this concocted story actually seem believable to someone out of the know - he cites supposed 'connections' Hank has made in the business, his own cancer diagnosis as a means of supporting his innocence, stating that the hit that was made on Hank was actually executed as an attack from one drug lord (Gus Fring) to another, as well as Hank's medical bills and even the bruise on Walt's eye as being caused by Hank. This is a moment of realisation on two levels; 1) We now know that Walt has Hank bang to rights without question, and 2) This is how television should be done. This is how plotting should be done. It comes across like Gilligan has had this planned from the beginning, rather than just having made it up while going along. The only question that remains here is this; what will Hank do next?

The second was Jesse's internal conflict. We see him in the interrogation room, with the episode picking up right where the last ended, although we get an interesting depiction of the passage of time from Jesse's perspective, as it speeds up during his conversation with the two detectives. Hank then enters the room and what follows is an understandably awkward conversation, although Jesse's comic delivery of 'Eat me' lightened up the good cop bad cop routine that Hank was attempting to pull off. A large part of Confessions concerned Jesse's loyalty to Walt as well as his moral standpoint when it comes to the actions that they have made singularly and in partnership. It's important to note the juxtaposition that was interestingly presented at the beginning of the episode, as Todd relayed the story of the train robbery to his Uncle Jack while omitting the part about shooting the boy on the motorbike, something he did without hesitation and which Jesse attempted to protest against in the split second before it occurred. Conversely, Jesse obviously has a set of morals when it comes to such acts, and as we see him suddenly realise what Walt has done, he doesn't hesitate in exacting revenge upon him. Just as we think Walt has saved himself by convincingly pinning the blame on Hank, another huge problem has reared it's head.

With regards to the intense cliffhanger involving Jesse's petrol-pouring antics, I will make some predictions. I don't know if he'll set the house on fire, even in light of the way it's depicted in 'Blood Money.' It just doesn't seem right, because that explanation is too easy, although I might just be over-complicating thing. However, I will predict that Jesse spray paints 'Heisenberg' across the living room wall. What better way to leave an insulting message, especially in a fit of rage?

Roll on Episode 12.

Under The Dome - Episode One: Pilot - Review

An entertaining opener to a relatively promising new series.

Stephen King's original 2009 novel, Under The Dome, followed a small holiday town in America who become completely cut off from the outside world when an invisible and seemingly impenetrable dome comes down upon them. The novel itself was one of his best in years; even though it was just shy of 900 pages, it ended up being, to use old ancient cliche, a real page turner. Now the novel has been adapted to the small screen, following the lives of the inhabitants of Chester's Mill as they come to terms with life inside the dome.

Episode One took a full hold of the shows intriguing concept, although it has to be mentioned early on for those that read the book; there are quite a few differences in the story between the two. Needless to say, SPOILERS AHEAD.

The episode began spectacularly, mainly because (and I'll admit I'm being a little self indulgent here, but I have to emphasise) the scene depicting the moment at which the dome comes down was just about exactly how I envisioned it occurring in my head when I was reading the novel. Furthermore, we're introduced to Dale 'Barbie' Barbara (Mike Vogel), something of a variation on the all-American hero, who could even be considered something of an anti-hero based on the fact that the pilot opened on him burying a corpse, which varies a tad from the source material. But, then again, King himself has stated that the show incorporates variations due to the fact that prose and television are two entirely different mediums, which is fair enough.

One of the programmes most positive aspects is the character of Julia Shumway, who has been cast in  a pretty much spot-on fashion to be played by Rachelle Lefevre. Her relationship with Barbie is going to likely going to be one of the best sections of the programme, considering that we're made aware of the fact that Dale has, in fact, killed Julia's husband, albeit in self-defence (see the previously mentioned body-disposal).

All good things aside, there were several aspects of the shows general production that made me shake my head in the most pretentious way. The CGI was one of the primary problems; it has an overwhelmingly painful similarity to Mega Python vs. Gateroid at times, I'm thinking specifically of when the dome first comes down, as we see a destroyed plane come plummeting towards one of the main cast only to have Barbie push him out of the way just in time, as well as the almost blackly comic moment when an unlucky cow is cut in half and we have the pleasure of witnessing a perfectly symmetrically severed bovine cross-section. Some degree of exemption has to be given to the cheap effects though, because, after all, Under The Dome is still a TV show, and therefore doesn't have the kind of hefty budget to egotistically swing around like so many of the summer blockbusters. Kudos can at least be given to the production team and the writers for having the guile to include such bloody images.

I have a soft spot for TV shows that have a kind of self-awareness in their stupidity, in that they know they're just mindless entertainment and they don't try to be anything else, and that's what Under The Dome is all about. While watching it I was, to a pretty large extent, reminded of the cult series Jericho. Fans of it will likely find Under The Dome to be something of an unintentional spiritual successor. There's no question about it being a silly programme, but it executes it's silliness for all the right reasons.

Breaking Bad - Season 5, Episode 10, 'Buried' - Review

'México. S'all I'm saying.'

Despite this weeks episode, 'Buried', being a little bit of a step down compared to the season premiere, it was still a great episode, and here's why.

In traditional Breaking Bad style, the show opened by teasing a vital aspect of the continued storyline; the slow-burning introductory scene saw the aftermath of Jesse's faux-Robin Hood escapade through the sprawl of Alberqueque, having thrown stacks of money from his car. The image of him, very much hollowed out, gave a great sense for the disillusionment that Jesse has experienced, and his character gave a heck of a lot to the episode's continuity, despite hardly being in it, which I'll come to towards the end. Structurally, the episode picks up after this right where the last one left off, in a scene brinking on comic-awkwardness, perhaps even pushing into it. Both Walt and Hank make an attempt to call Skylar - before Walt realises what Hank is doing and shoots him a spectacularly chosen look from Bryan Cranston. That moment alone further solidifed the fact that Cranston really has embraced the character(s) of Walt/Heisenberg.

Of course, undoubtedly the most solidly acted performance in the episode was from Anna Gunn, who portrayed Skylar with all depth of a woman whose idyllic view of family life and a future is beginning to collapse in on itself, especially when considering her confrontation with Hank at the diner. This scene was a prime example of the quality of Breaking Bad's writing, as its always held a strong grasp on back and forth dialogue between two characters, especially in a situation as awkward as the one beheld by Hank and Skylar. It allowed for something of a breather in between the shows more tense moments, and really helped to make clear how much of a psychological toll the truth has taken on Walt's friends and family.

I have this idea that all of the very best dramas need to include some element of comedy, however small they may be. To go off on a slight tangent, the first thing that comes to mind is Paul Thomas Anderson's films - see There Will Be Blood for 'I. Drink. Your. Milkshake!' As well as The Master for Joaquin Phoenix's depiction of Freddie Quell as he slams his back into the underside of a prison bunk while handcuffed. But with regards to Breaking bad in particular, I am, of course, referring to the downright brilliant conversation between Hule and Kuby, Saul Goodman's half-assed comic goons as they are sent to move Walt and Skylar's (literal) mountain of money, and instead end up lying on it, face up, in one of the most brilliant displayed depictions of the odd-couple in TV history.

After Walt has buried the money - staying true to the act of having the title relate to some aspect the respective episode's content - we saw Marie confront Skylar about her situation, establishing that Hank has inevitably told her about Walt. This scene further saw the disentiegration of the relationships between these four characters, as well as showcasing an emotionally-wrenching depiction of the breakdown between Skylar and Marie, as Betsy Brandt pulled off a brilliantly restrained performance consiodering she slaps Skylar in a knuckle-bitingly awkward moment. But the fact is, as Skylar faught to keep baby Holly from being taken away by Marie, as well as her conversation with Walt shortly after this in which they make arrangements to stay quiet, it could be that we're finally about to see the emergence of Mrs Heisenberg. During her dialogue with Walt on the bathroom floor, there's a sense that she is confronting the prospect of having to stay quiet, while Walt seems to confirm his original intentions, that being to ensure his family's safety.

Towards the end we were also offered an insight into Lydia's varied 'interests' as she has likely the most underrated character in the show, Todd, as well as several faceless henchmn, kill off her ex-business partners. The execution of the this scene was also rather brilliant, as it gave an increased sense of depth with regards to the kind of character that Lydia is. She's perfectly comfortable having people killed off without hesitation, just as long as someone else does it and she doesn't have to see the aftermath. While I've previously voiced my dislike for Lydia as a character, a lot of credit must admittedly be given for Laura Fraser's acting abilities in pulling off a controlled performance of such an awkard character.

Before the final scene, Hank faces the possibility that he will very likely be fired if he reports the truth about Walt to his employers, seeing as the person he's been looking for has been 'right under [his] nose this whole time,' which can assumedly mean that things won't hit the fan for at least a little while. That was my initial thought before the episode came to an end as Hank shuts the door into the interrogation room, which just so happens to contain... A post-cathartic Jesse. As I previously mentioned, Jesse seems to have lost interest in life now that this 'blood money' has found its way to his doorstep, and the final scene reinforced this point, as he sits before the two interrogators, staring into space, unblinking. Judging by his apparent state of mind, he could very easily bring Walt's world screaming and on fire to the ground.

Despite taking a minor step down from the premiere, the episode still stands above the quality of just about every other show on TV, and the gravitas of the final moments leaves plenty of speculation in the shadow of the next episode.

The only other question I have is;

Where the hell has Walter Jr disappeared to?

Pacific Rim (2013) - Review

While it boasts spectacular visuals and a great thrill ride, Pacific Rim is a relatively forgettable affair.

Guillermo Del Toro's career amazes me. He's swept effortlessly through a fantastic filmography, ranging from Spanish fairytale horror to obscurist superheroes. With Pacific Rim, he's surprised his audience yet again with something completely different, and with enough guile to be admirable all on it's own.

The primary plot of Pacific Rim takes place in 2025, where humanity is in the last days of the war with the 'Kaijus'; gargantuan Godzilla-esque monsters that have emerged from a portal in the Pacific ocean. Since their appearance in 2013, the humans have been fighting back against the Kaijus with Jaegers; equally massive combat robots designed to engage in battle with the Kaijus. But twelve years later, with the Jaeger project on the verge of discontinuation, Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba) pulls together a rag-tag team of ex-Jaeger fighters, for the purpose of launching a final effort against the Kaiju's, with the intention of staving off the increasing number of monsters and using a nuclear bomb to close the portal once and for all. Of course, there are a few more details crucial to the plot, especially when it comes to incomprehensibly huge robots. The fact that they are so big means that they require two pilots in order to undertake the weighty mental toll that they inflict. And so our protagonists, the emotionally damaged Raleigh Beckett (Charlie Hunman) and the equally traumatised Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), step up to the plate to lead the pack.

With a plot like this, it's no surprise that Pacific Rim's most stand-out trait is it's CGI-laden visuals. The sequences depicting the fights between the Jaeger's and the Kaiju's are as enjoyably indulgent, in terms of sheer spectacle, as CGI can possibly get. This is also probably the first instance of a film where I've stopped during an action scene to think for a moment about the quality of the sound. I find it difficult to even imagine how overwhelmingly complex it must have been to compose and edit the audio for this film, so due kudos has to be issued to the editors on that front. But in terms of viewing the film from a birds-eye perspective, Del Toro has stated that he intended to create something that was 'madly in love' with it's obvious influences, and Pacific Rim does just that; the simple presence of the monsters identifies it as a tribute to the giant Japanese monster movies of previous generations. However, while keeping all this in mind, the script still makes a reasonable effort of giving considerable attention to the human side of the conflict.

While credit has to be given to Del Toro for his, quite simply put, ballsiness in going ahead with a film of this size and calibre, it also has to be given in equal measure for making a go of including actual, real characters. Often with films of this scale it's easy to lose track of the characters operating the literal giant robots, but Del Toro hasn't made that mistake here. It was likely a deliberate move to make the pilots of the Jaegers connected psychologically; as previously touched upon,this means that both pilots see into each others memories, meaning that there has to also be an emotional connection between the two. Solid efforts are given by Hunman and Kikuchi, especially considering the occasionally weak material that they are given, as well as an unsurprisingly strong performance from Idris Elba, who portrays the straight-talking war veteran Stacker. There's also a well-casted appearance from Ron Perlman as a black market-esque dealer (having previously worked with Del Toro on the Hellboy films), and a well-balanced sub-plot involving Charlie Day and Burn Gorman as conflicting Kaiju-obsessors.

But on a more negative note, Pacific Rim does have several downsides. Despite the inclusion of weight given to the actual characters, it does, for the most part, feel largely disconnected from the action that we see involving the Jaegers. At times it also feels as if Del Toro is just getting the character-related aspects of the story out of the way for good measure so that he can move straight into said-'good stuff.' And while the film does stay true to itself as an original piece of cinema rather than singularly acting as a tribute, at times there really feels as if there's a deep absence of reason for the whole thing.

While Pacific Rim dives headfirst into the definition of what it means to be a summer blockbuster, it also embodies the vices of this definition. True, it's a great afternoon thrill ride that I'd definitely recommend taking, but I'm confident that most viewers will have forgotten about it by the time they're digging into their post-cinema meal.

3/5

Breaking Bad - Season 5, Episode 9, 'Blood Money' - Review

'Tread Lightly.'

And so, Breaking Bad has returned with an unsurprisingly brilliant episode to begin the second half of it's fifth and final season. 'Blood Money' was a fantastic episode to kick off the shows return, with some of the most tense and gritty moments in the shows history. So far, that is.

The traditional use of in media res was, quite literally, jaw-dropping. The image of the abandoned and derelict White Household, assumed to be an image from a year or so after the present tense judging by Walt's equally derelict appearance, was overwhelmingly haunting, especially that of the skaters using the emptied pool in the White's back garden. Initially the idea came to mind that it may have been for some other reason, as we've seen foolingly similar flashforwards in the past that tend to involve planes, but then it appears; 'HEISENBERG', spray-painted in block capitals on the living room wall. Sure, it could have been from a post-world-collapse admirer, but the possibilities are endless - for all we know, Walt could have sprayed it on the wall in a fit of egotistical indulgence and the house could be abandoned for some other reason. As for his reason for returning, we see Walt retrieving the capsule of ricin from behind the plug socket in his bedroom, the reason for which is unknown and totally down to speculation, although you can bet it has something to do with killing someone. With a final reference to this scene, the reaction of Walt's neighbour, Carol, has to be noted. She is so shocked to see him that she literally drops what she's holding. But it's still down to speculation - as I've said, for all we know, Walt could have faked his death and Carol was simply responding under the impression of seeing a ghost, so to speak.

In the present tense, we see Hank's response to the notion that Walt is, indeed, Heisenberg, the notorious drug manufacturer that he has been chasing over the last 55 episodes. Credit has to be given to Dean Norris for his portrayal of Hank - his break down in the wake of this upcoming theory was nothing short of sublime, as well as his performance when he comes face to face with Walt in his garage, which I'll come to in a little while.

We saw Walt and Skylar contemplating opening a second car wash for the purpose of laundering their money, a plan which is likely to fall apart in future. This scene also saw the return of Lydia, likely one of the most annoying characters in the shows excellent cast, as she attempts to coerce Walt into returning to the meth business. Skylar's confrontation of Lydia supplied some tension before the advent of the episodes chilling ending.

Meanwhile, Aaron Paul's perfect portrayal of Jesse Pinkman remained consistent as ever, as we see him becoming disillusioned in the face dealing with the ten million dollars that he received from Walt in the previous episode. There's also an hilarious monologue from his friend Badger (Matt Jones), who pitches an idea for a Star Trek script to Skinny Pete (Charles Baker), which, while not really relevant to the main story in the episode, is one of the most memorable aspects of it.

After Jesse has paid a visit to Saul Goodman (Bob Odendirk), who is undoubtedly a cult character in the making, another painfully poetic scene is delivered as Jesse drives his car through the economically down-trodden neighbourhoods of Alberqueque, throwing stacks of $10,000 bills into the gardens of homes, as well as, in a preceding scene, giving the same amount to a homeless man.

Of course, 'Blood Money' saved the best for last. Hank's confrontation of Walt was incredibly unexpected, and it was apparent even before he delivered a right cross to Walt's cheek; hats off to the writers for coming up with the idea of Hank closing the automatic garage door. When he presses the button and the darkness slowly fills up the room, the tension escalated to heights that the show has somehow rarely reached in the past. The performances of both Norris and Cranston were executed with such grit that the scene was almost overwhelming, particularly the final words of the episode from Walt, in response to Hank's 'I don't even know who I'm talking to'; 'If you don't who I am, then maybe your best course... Would be to tread lightly.' Walt spoke the first part of the sentence, but it was Heisenberg who spoke the second. The shot holds on Cranston and you can genuinely see the transformation happen right in front of your eyes, as he changes from Jekyll to Hyde.

The episode effortlessly sets up for the remaining seven episodes and the much-anticipated finale of the series. It provided a fantastic plataeu for the inevitable and impending conflict between Walt and Hank, and somehow managed to give viewers even more than they were expecting, by giving real focus to the confrontation between Hank and Walt. There's no doubt things are about to get a whole lot more tense.

The Tree Of Life (2011) - Review

A work of staggering beauty and wonder, The Tree Of Life is one of the most overwhelmingly powerful films in decades.

Firstly, I think it's a fair comment to say that in ten, twenty, or even fifty years time, The Tree Of Life will be recognised as Terrence Malick's magnum opus. It's that good. The reason for this is that the film identifies Malick as a real person, rather than some existential, ethereal force of whom we have fewer legitimate pictures that we do of bigfoot. Because the film is based on something likely very personal and important to Malick himself, that being his own childhood

The Tree Of Life follows a midwestern American family in the 1950s, which includes the father, Mr O'Brien (Brad Pitt), Mrs O'Brien (Jessica Chastain), and their two sons, Jack (Hunter McCracken) and R.L. (Laramie Eppler). Their lives in a seemingly idyllic American suburb are parallelled with a narrative following the present day, in which the family, including a much older Jack (portrayed by Sean Penn) come to terms with the news that R.L. has been tragically killed. Of course, a film by Malick wouldn't be complete with some radical aspect; we're also running alongside the origins of the universe and the first forms of life.

Much of the primary conflict comes from the two boys and their relationships with their parents. Mr O'Brien is failed musician who now works as a relatively unsuccessful patent clerk, and he takes a largely hypocritical stance in taking his anger out on his family through various means, while he is perfectly contrasted by Mrs O'Brien, a figure of ease and love in the boys eyes.

In terms of a purely visceral perspective, The Tree Of Life is, without question, a masterpiece. Malick's instantly distinguishable and confident style is washed over every single frame of the film; minute details of the lives of the O'Briens are examined, not in a day-to-day sense but in a more emotional fashion. Malick's signature technique of using the brief stream of consciousness-esque snippets of the characters thoughts throughout the film make it all the more emotionally brilliant - there's a genuity to the film that's present from beginning to end.

But likely the most impressive aspect of The Tree Of Life's visual and audatic qualities is what takes place outside of the lives of the family. As previously mentioned, we're thrown through the entire universe - the two and a half hour running time sends us across the far reaches of space, allowing us to witness the birth of, well, everything. Stars explode and planets are born, all through the use of extended sequences of astounding CGI work that are admittedly impressive. And, while not giving too much away... There are indeed dinosaurs, which has polarised a lot of peoples opinions about this film.

On a less dinosaur-related note and one that's more human-focused, the actors performances are all impressively evocative. Most notable are Jessica Chastain's portrayal of Mrs O'Brien, and Hunter McCracken as Jack. Chastain gives a performance of fantastic restraint, as if she might break at any moment of the film, while McCracken is equally impressive, especially at such a young age.

The Tree Of Life is life-affirming to the point that everyone owes it to themselves to see it. Works that have the capacity to define what it is to be human are few and far between, and that's assuming that they exist at all. But if they do, The Tree Of Life is one of them.

Gangster Squad (2013) - Review

The epitome of classically structured films, Gangster Squad is a perfect example of a film that's just plain, stupid fun.

Gangster Squad takes place among the hedonistic heavy drinking/smoking citizens of post-world war II Los Angeles. The city is in the vice-like grip of ruthless mob boss Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn), and Chief Bill Parker (Nick Nolte) is under constant fire from the press and the public for doing very little about it. But then he does; Parker orders Seargant John O'Mara (Josh Brolin), a hard-hitting, honest, veteran cop to bring down Cohen by any means necessary - off the books, of course. O'Mara puts together the Gangster Squad, a rogue group of cops who use often violent and illegal means to put an end to Cohen's rule. Cue seemingly unrelated action sequences.

The bill is topped off by Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), a smooth talking war veteran, Grace Faraday (Emma Stone), the femme fatale who Wooters develops a relationship with, as well as Anthony Mackie and the rest of the gangster squad. Despite lackluster character development, the actors give largely strong performances with the material that they've been given.

Despite this, the characters are a largely shiftless bunch; a group of people who exist in a certain time who do things that doesn't really click with any sort of reason for doing so. However, the actors performances are all of a reasonable quality. Gosling and Stone, having already worked together on Crazy, Stupid Love are a formidable screen couple that have great chemistry, but with them in mind there is an unfortunate sense of stardom factor, in that we are seeing them as actors rather than the characters that they are portraying. And, albeit some slick dialogue, the script is painfully weak at times. Most aspects of the film serve dramatic tropes rather than it being the other way around. With it's near two-hour running time, it feels like a lot more could have been done with the time that the film was given.

It's many vices aside, Gangster Squad does have a few positive aspects going for it. Despite Ruben Fleischer having only directed one major project before (2009s Zombieland) his directorial skills are reasonably impressive and suit the action in a strange way; he executes the whole thing with a kind of reckless but controlled abandon. His style also contributes positively to the films more comedic tone at times, as this seems to be Fleischer's natural way of going about things.

Having read Paul Leiberman's excellent Gangster Squad: The True Story of the Battle for Los Angeles on which the film was very, very, very loosely based, I can safely say that this is not a film to be taken seriously in the slightest. It's a fun, stupid (in a good way) action-romp that looks great and is a hell of a lot of fun to watch.

And why should that be a bad thing?

3/5