EL CAMINO: A BREAKING BAD MOVIE

Release Date: Malaysia (Netflix), 11 Oct 2019

Genre: Thriller / Crime

Running Length: 2:02

Cast: Aaron Paul, Matt Jones, Charles Baker

Director: Vince Gilligan
Screenplay: Vince Gilligan

EL CAMINO: A BREAKING BAD MOVIE is strictly for the fans. 

Those who have not watched the series will hard it to follow. As a massive fan of Breaking Bad, I hyperventilated when Netflix dropped (out of the blue) a teaser trailer for this "Netflix event" two months ago. "It's REAL. It's FINALLY happening!" 

So is this movie any good?

"Bitch!" This film was a letdown. The plot is so thin, the filmmakers had to add in unnecessary flashbacks to stretch it into a feature-length film. And these flashbacks do not add anything to the character of Jesse Pinkman except as an excuse to showcase some familiar characters from the  Breaking Bad series.

Among all of these cameos, only one was memorable. When he showed up on screen, my eyes just lit up! He looked the same as he was in the series! I can't say the same for the other characters especially one of them who put on so much weight here. Eventhough his performance was on point, his appearance was such a distraction.    

Also, there were a a few decisions that Jesse made which was not believable. In an earlier scene, he couldn't carry out an obvious decision because he was broken and vulnerable but in a much later scene, he was cool as a Marlboro Man cowboy. Perhaps Vince Gilligan (the director and writer) wanted to convey the message that Jesse is finally comfortable in his own skin? I dunno. 

El Camino could have worked better as a one-hour epilogue episode. It's a decent closure to the character of Jesse Pinkman but a lackluster addition to the Breaking Bad universe.  

RATING: 5/10

JOKER

Release Date: Malaysia, 03 Oct 2019
Genre: Drama / Crime

Running Length: 2:02

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen

Director: Todd Phillips 

Screenplay: Todd Phillips & Scott Silver

JOKER is certainly a provocative film. 

To me, it was uncomfortable at times to witness an individual with a fragile mind slowly descending into madness. Some viewers may also find this movie unsettling because of the glorification of our main villain and his excuse for violence. And for some, with what's happening in the world today, the scenes depicting the public taking their frustration into the streets to riot and loot may just hit it close to home for them.

The reason Joker is believable is squarely because of Joaquin Phoenix’s dedicated and uncompromising portrayal of Arthur Fleck/Joker. For those who doesn’t know his work, they will be in for a treat. But for those who are familiar, we know he is definitely most capable of such tour de force. However, what I am most captivated about his performance here is his physical transformation and his ability to be both scary and sympathetic at the same time. Phoenix puts his own spin on the maniacal signature Joker laugh (His character Arthur claims it's an uncontrollable medical condition but then in one scene, he could just stop laughing at will).  

As for the film itself, I can't help but find it to be too visually perfect. I mean, it seems as though almost every moment was intentionally shot and edited with the purpose of creating an impact. Don't get me wrong, the film looks grainy and gorgeous but I was distracted with these "moments". In fact, I felt Phoenix went a little too method in some of these shots (it looks stunning in the first teaser trailer, but to see such "BE AWED" moments repeatedly over the course of a 2 hour film can be a tad too self indulgent and even tedious)

And when it comes to references, although I have only watched a few clips from Taxi Driver, there were just too many scenes in Joker aping that movie. Also, I get it that this movie exist in the Batman universe, but I felt the filmmakers here tried a little too hard to have a force connection with that universe. 

Plus, I felt that the pacing was a little off. I can't put a finger to it but I felt some parts were disjointed and inconsistent. Not too sure if it was the result of writing, directing, editing or all three. For example, the film experiments with the unreliable narrator angle but I just couldn't feel the "Oh wow, I didn't see that coming! That was smart" impact when they unveiled it. 

All in all, is Joker a good film? Well, at times I felt the filmmakers bit off more than they could chew but it's still a necessary film to watch. Warning: If you're going into this film to be entertained, be prepared to be disturbed instead. The very fact that I was still thinking about this movie long after the curtain fell says something about this film. 

               

"Is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there?"

RATING: 9/10