#michaelbofshever

[awesomebeasy]

Picking up right where the series finale left off, we see Jesse’s final steps toward a clean break from his past. Ooommmmgggg all the characters they brought back (Ehrmantraut, Badger, Skinny Pete, Jane, Todd, Mr. White!) - makes me wana rewatch #BreakingBad and catch up on Better Call Saul. Seeing Badger and Skinny Pete take care of Jesse - awwww, and Skinny Pete with that plan for the vehicles 👌🏼 aaawwww, yea fam. The ongoing news and radio reports about the events in the finale were a nice touch, both tieing it to the series that much more closely, and giving an early timeframe for the movie. The flashbacks to what Jesse went through before the finale definately gave more empathy for him and made you hate Todd that much more. All of the sneaking around Todd’s apartment was sex while camping - fuckin intense 😬 (The Bird’s Eye View of all the Jesse’s searching 👌🏼👌🏼) The twist that happens in there, leading that to revenge - mygod - explosive. Watching a making of Netflix did - #MattJones (Badger) said reuniting for the movie after 6yrs was less weird and more “We missed this.” Because of the amount of time they had to recreate outfits for the flashback scenes, there was one shirt that they had to make out of three different shirts, which crazy to think about. Getting a closer look at Todd’s snowglobes was interesting, some leaned towards “dark” at best, “morbid” at worst; though that being said I wanted some of them😆 Overall I enjoyed the closure about Jesse we got, but it felt sort of Cursed Child ish. #lategram #ssmovieof2019 #action #drama #AaronPaul @aaronpaul #JonathanBanks #CharlesBaker #LarryHankin #TomBower #GloriaSandoval (“Somewhere beautiful. She deserves that.” SHUT UP TODD!!) #TessHarper #MichaelBofshever #ScottMaxArthur #ScottShepard #RobertForster #BryanCranston #KevinRankin #KrystenRitter writers: #VinceGilligan (written by, based on “Breaking Bad” by) director: Vince Gilligan movies of 2019 number 30) #ElCaminoABreakingBadMovie #ElCamino #ABreakingBadMovie https://www.instagram.com/p/B7SatfqHZqT/?igshid=igho61gts5zk

[doomonfilm]

Review : El Camino - A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)

Breaking Bad was more than a TV show... it was a phenomenon that altered the creative path of network TV, opened many casual viewers’ eyes to the complicated path of the antihero, and brought cinematic-level writing and cinematography to the average household.  Many veterans of TV and film found new life in the show, and a handful of actors became breakout stars based on their involvement.  One of the main actors that found monumental success and gained much acclaim was Aaron Paul, who played the unforgettable Jesse Pinkman.  Who knew that, years later, Netflix and Vince Gilligan would team up to fill us in on what’s happened to Jesse in the form of El Camino : A Breaking Bad Movie. 

After escaping the clutches of white supremacist Jack Welker (Michael Bowen) and his nephew Todd Alquist (Jesse Plemons), Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) jumps in their El Camino and hits the road.  Due to Walter White’s (Bryan Cranston) murder of Jack and his crew, the police are en-route, but Jesse avoids them and hides out with his only friends left, Skinny Pete (Charles Baker) and Badger (Matt L. Jones).  With the authorities looking for him, Jesse attempts to find hidden money that Todd alerted him to during his time as a captive, all the while trying to come to grips with the his recent, terrible past.

The way that this film picks right back up where the series left off is instantly rewarding, as the need for exposition is completely removed.  We are simply given a moment with Jesse and Mike to drive home Jesse’s ultimate goals, then we are dropped directly back into the narrative where we last viewed Jesse.  After this jump-off, we are provided a narrative that goes both forwards and backwards... we are shown what we are expected in regards to what happens to Jesse after escaping captivity, but we are also given additional information about his time spent in the captivity of Todd that further drives home his sociopathic nature.  With all of this going on, the cat and mouse game that Jesse plays with the cops feels like an afterthought despite the immediacy of the consequences.

Skinny Pete, Badger and Mike were three of my favorite characters in the Breaking Bad series, so the immediate reaffirmation of their connection to Jesse set a beautiful and immediate tone for me.  Bouncing these affirming interactions against memories of Jesse’s time with Todd, and his current struggle of avoiding the law, creates a triangle of tension and emotional instability that provides riveting levels of drama.  While the TV show made both Jesse’s time as a captive and his hate for Todd crystal clear, the deeper levels we are shown hit truly heartbreaking levels of realization as we begin to understand everything Jesse had to endure.

Vince Gilligan hasn’t lost a step at all, as his signature, unique camera work that made the TV show famous is still present.  The way that the film jumps back and forth between the present and new moments from the familiar history of the show is a strange sort of immersion that not many films are allowed to utilize.  The rich, vivid color-grading that was a signifier for the TV show plays even better in the frame of reference of film.  The dialogue is just as tense as the situations presented, with each scene tightening the vice stronger and stronger as Jesse avoids interaction where he can, and finds danger at nearly every turn when faced with interaction from non-allies.

Aaron Paul carries the wait of trauma, stress and pain like a professional throughout the course of the film, giving us different shades of it depending on where in the timeline the story is taking place.  Jesse Plemons enhances the famous detached nature of Todd by letting his even manner play against his soulless actions, as if he is completely unaware of the trail of destruction he leaves behind.  Charles Baker and Matt L. Jones jump right back into their characterizations as if they never left the roles, providing us with continued genuine and sincere moments of friendship between Jesse, Skinny Pete and Badger.  Scott MacArthur and Scott Shepherd fall right in line with the canon of interesting and diverse antagonists that those in the Breaking Bad world face.  Appearances by Jonathan Banks, Larry Hankin, Tess Harper, Michael Bofshever, and special appearances by Krysten Ritter, Robert Forster and Bryan Cranston round things out.

The dual release of El Camino : A Breaking Bad Story on Netflix and in theaters is an exciting experiment, and one that hooked me fully.  I purchased a ticket nearly a week in advance to see the film just after opening weekend, but due to my anticipation, I decided to make my critical viewing take place via Netflix.  This film is so good, however, that I am sure watching the amazing direction by Vince Gilligan on the big screen will be as rewarding as a first-time viewing.