Breaking Bad

I'm a big fan of shows that have a finite story line - Breaking Bad ended in its final fifth season, albeit an extended one, on the peak of its popularity. There was no further ground to be broken and its a hallmark of a good show that they wrapped it up at exactly the correct point.

Breaking bad will go down in contention for the best show of all time and possibly losing out to only the superlative "The Wire". Personally, I'd rate Breaking bad as my favorite show and grudgingly award The Wire the best show.

Like all good art forms, Breaking bad requires an upfront investment from the viewer in the form of the first season. I had left off after the first season a couple of years back, expecting it to go down the route of the abysmally bad Weeds. But this show broke into a different direction and much like a good symphony built up into a crescendo in season 4 gently easing me back into the real world through season 5. It's obvious that the show's writers did not chase ratings using "scientific" methodologies like focus groups and user feedback. Despite, or more accurately because of this, Breaking Bad has already acquired cult status.

The characters are well-thought out and executed nearly to perfection by the cast. Performances by Bryan Cranston and the team have already garnered multiple awards, but what elevates this show to the realm of superlative is the secondary, unexplained mannerisms and quirks of the characters - Gus Fring's obsessive attention to sartorial correctness; Marie's recurring bouts of kleptomania and constant obsession for purple; Hank's retreat into the calm world of inanimate minerals; none of these are directly explained. What is alluded to or even completely left out allows the viewer to create a much deeper universe than would have been possible by explanation. As in real life, there are no monologues from characters establishing causality for their actions - simply behaviors.

This element of restraint is evident not only in the story telling, but also extends over other aspects of the show. The dictum of show-don't-tell or tell-don't-show is assiduously adhered to. Pivotal visual scenes have the cleanest, stillest backdrop with little or no sound track. In contrast a scene with the only visual content being Walter White alone in his house deep in contemplation is rendered pulsating by the thumping sound track.

Outstanding cinematography, on par with The Wire and Game of Thrones, is one of the pillars raising this show to greatness. The genius stroke of selecting Albuquerque and New Mexico as the setting (it was originally scripted with southern California) is done full justice by the execution. The vast arid landscape of New Mexico is not merely a backdrop but in itself a crucial character. The camera indulgently ponders over wide shots of the desert before reluctantly admitting other objects into the frame.

It requires an almost Tarantino'ish level of confidence - some might call it arrogance - to indulge in extended scenes that serve no other purpose except pure visual enjoyment. Where Tarantino found the mesmerizing mannerisms of Christopher Waltz, Vince Gilligan discovered the precise physicality of
Giancarlo Exposito as Gus Fring. Gus Fring's character was rightfully allowed to swell up and take his rightful share of the attention bowing
out eventually with a characteristic straightening of the tie. A poignant farewell to an exceptional character.

In midst of the gripping drama, Breaking Bad also incorporates a spectrum of comedy ranging from set pieces like Ted's slap sticky trip over the rug to a dark undercurrent running through the show. But Bob Odenkirk's Saul Goodman - the canny, self-preserving, euphemistically-inclined, glib lawyer - stands out for the brilliant performance. I'm excited about the spin-off Better Call Saul that's in the works.

The only criticism I have which is not even directly related to the show is that the cast could have stayed away from interviews about the characters until the ending of the show. We know its an illusion - of course they are actors with their own personal goals and aspiration - but we willingly suspend belief to invest into the world of Breaking Bad.

Last week when after gluttonously consuming seasons 3 through 5 in a marathon session over four days, I was left with an aching void in my life. And I discovered I was not alone. A champion of a show had come, conquered and left standard of excellence which now others will have to be measured up against. 

Papers, Please

Last month was spent in a haze of fast paced action with GTA V and Breaking Bad, which is why discovery of  Papers, please is perfect timing. It can be almost be used as a case-study of something that is exactly the opposite of GTA V.

Set in a dystopian 80s communist state, you play a low-level bureaucrat working at an immigration booth on the newly opened border. Your endless days consist of appearing at this booth and determining the fates of applicants based on the correctness of their paper work. The rules for admittance get convoluted over time, but not without reason - There are political and social forces at play that induce the ever increasing amount of paperwork to be examined.

The real achievement of this game is its ability to create an, and I hesitate to use the word, immersive experience. It captures the sense of what I imagine must be the dread and helplessness of living in an oppressive state where every action is monitored, logged and has consequences. The stark skeuomorphic sound effects juxtaposed with deep base thumping background music elevates the game to a masterpiece of execution. Using 90s style pixelated graphics, the game still brings about more realism than most massively designed game set; This is because like all other great media, this game realizes that the mind matters more than the eye.

I would recommend this game as a social study assignment to experience first hand the factors and social environments that lead an ordinary person to first start making deeply disturbing choices and eventually become inured to the ordinariness of suffering - Approve, approve, reject, take bribe - approve ... Stamp stamp stamp. repeat day after day.

One tip for players - don't fall into the trap of replaying a day because of some mistakes in strategy. There are several endings to the game and they are determined by choices, intentional or inadvertent. Allow this game to uncover your nature and then reflect upon the outcome of your choices.

There will be blood

There will be blood came highly rated and recommended from all sides - so I did try;I tried my best but could not get through to the end.

Daniel-Day Lewis is a treat to watch and the cinematography is top-notch, capturing the grittiness of the time (not that I'd know); however, eventually, a sluggish plot killed the movie for me.

Epics spanning multiple generations need to be broken down into acts with their own satisfying story arcs (even if real life may not work that way, movies should). TWBB follows a singles story arc, and like classical music, it may require a trained viewer to appreciate the extended periodicity and harmonization of plot lines over three hours. Lest you mistake me for a boor and nihilist, let me point out that the Godfather movies are a superb example of this art perfected.

I suspect this is one of those movies that its a personal preference and from the rave reviews it has received everyone should watch it and judge for themselves.

Ooooobik

I have no idea how to pronounce "Ubik", and that's the point because Ubik is nothing and everything - shaving aid, ersatz coffee, deodorant, some form of bread(?), and even salad dressing. The point is that there is no point or if there was a point, there is another point that is relevant to the first point without which there is no point.

Before there was Inception, a movie I deplore because of its intellectual dishonesty, there was Philip K Dick's deeply confounding Ubik. Ubik's plot unravels slowly and like classy female-friendly porn, highlights by hinting rather than revealing. The mark of good science fiction is making the readers think. Ubik does that exceedingly well without resorting to that old trope of an omniscient "architect" delivering a explanatory monologue. It is not a relaxing read, but a rewarding one if you pay close attention; definitely not stoned-in-goa-on-a-hammock material (Pick up a Nick Hornby for that)

You can try, but you won't beat the book. Ubik manages to stay a step ahead and place detour sign on every turn your brain makes to reach the solution. Why? Because Ubik is omnipotent and omniscient and comes in a can.

Set in the style of a Raymond Chandler piece with the lead character is endearingly named "Joe Chip" with a straight face, Ubik has a yo-yo'ing sense of humor ranging from simple puns to pitch black dark humor.

Hugely engaging and ultimately unsettling, this is science fiction perfected.

Rating - Many many moons

Double Bill - Matchstick Men and Fargo

It's been weeks of heavy reading and watching and I wanted to watch a good movie - not a movie that made me think or analyse. Simply entertain me without insulting my intelligence. you know - the mythical space between Kurosawa and Adam Sandler; Matchstick Men and Fargo seemed to fit the bill.

Matchstick Men

Starring Nick O'Cage in possibly the last movie before he outsourced film selection to a retarded Bonobo in Africa, watch this movie simply for Ol' Nick. Nick's expressions are so funny that its a meme by itself; In this movie he gets to play a character plagued by tics and behaviors induced by OCD, resulting in some truly laugh out loud moments.

I won't give away the plot but to say that I don't think it'd stand up to close scrutiny. Still - It's a fairly enjoyable movie that thoroughly deserves an above average rating and if you're planning on vegetating in front of TV on a Monday night you could do lot worse than watch Matchstick Men - 3 Apples & a grape / 5 Oranges

Fargo
One of the reasons the review for Matchstick men is short is because the very next day I watched Fargo!

I really didn't know what to expect when I started watching Fargo, but was unprepared for the romping ride it took me on; Only after I watched the movie and found out that its a Coen brothers movie did I go - ahhh... that explains so much.

The casting of the movie is near perfect with William H Macy as Jerry, the classic bungler who triggers the tragedy of errors that ensue as he hires a couple of small time crooks to fake kidnap his wife, but really the show belongs to Frances McDormand as Marge - the police chief of a small town in the mid-west. Oh - and yes, the obligatory casting of the ever stellar, Steve Buscemi (really - why is he not in every movie?).

Based on true events, the movie is set in mid-west, USA and the Coen brothers make full use of this happy occurrence. The residents of a small town have their comfortable routine of shoveling snow - which, going be recent reports, is pretty much all one does in Minnesota - disturbed by a triple homicide by out of town criminals. Disturbed is an over statement as it doesn't bother them enough to even spit out the gum that they've been chewing for a week; Led by the heavily pregnant police chief - Marge. Oh Marge - Luckily this movie was before Christopher Waltz came and was not made by QT else Chris would have been all over the role even it meant being a pregnant man, but I diverge - Luckily, Marge is played by Frances who knocks it out with aplomb. All charm and ma'am but cold steel when required.

The Coen brother tradition of characters dying unceremoniously out of turn is celebrated in Fargo as well. See, this is what i like about Tarantino and Coen brothers type of movies - not only are they memorable in whole but even their constituent pieces are individually remarkable. There is a sense of celebration of the art of making cinema; It has an artistic purity. But - I diverge again. Where were we ? Ah yes - The camera work is fresh and the dialogue indulgent with some hilarious extended exchanges conducted only in varying intonations of the word - "Yeah". Even if you haven't spent time in Minnesota, as I strangely have, it is still bloody funny to watch.

This then, truly is a delicious concoction - parts Coen brother zaniness, parts Tarantano'ish violent indulgence, on a base of a Guy Ritchie plot of criminal incompetence, completed with superb performances and inspired  casting.

Rating: Scrumptious / Masala Dosa

Man bites dog (1992)

On the shelf of disturbing movies, Man bites dog will earn a place without even breaking a sweat. While "A Clockwork Orange" is stylized violence, this is your everyday garden variety of butchery.

Filmed in a black and white documentary style, the camera crew follow Ben - part serial-killer, part hitman, part petty thief - as he indulges in a variety of violent acts. Unlike most documentaries, however, the crew starts off as bystanders to Ben's "work" but go on to become participants leading to a twisted destructive symbiotic relationship.

Ben is a killer - He kills for paid assignments, kills as a part of robbery, and sometimes even out of sheer annoyance  Aside from his day job, it is simply one of his techniques of problem resolution. He does not enjoy the pain inflicted but rather has a preternatural level amorality and lack of empathy.

In one of the scenes he shoots an obnoxiously loud acquaintance in the head without warning or fuss and resumes eating dinner. It is dark humor at its best; The camera timing on this particular shot is outstanding - panning between a man lying with a head shot, and the shooter consuming his meal with quick fork movements at the dinner table.

Gangly and awkward at times, Ben is most easily identifiable as the lonely office worker with the uniquely European sense of (misplaced mostly) self-worth resulting in a pseudo-intellectual commentary on topics ranging from architecture to art to music. He goes about his work in a competent but non-flamboyant manner, much like an insurance auditor would. But you are acutely aware that if there was competition, he wouldn't be the best hit-man - just an average one. That he is not a meticulous serial killer is humorously evident when he finds that his body dumping ground is clearly visible from two hundred feet away with bones sticking out in every direction.

Ben's only acknowledgement of society seems to be the egotistical need to ensure that the film is completed. Initially awkward in front of the camera and it's "artistic" crew, he quickly enjoys the attention. The crew perceive this weaknesses and proceed to exploit it in the opportunistic manner only the continental artsy type knows how; Even goading him on to go beyond his usual modus operandi to rob a suburban home - only to find that rich suburbans only keep credit cards at home and no cash.

The film works hard at at many levels to ensure that the viewer cannot distance himself from the movie. The documentary style is only one aspect of this. Discerning viewers cannot categorize Ben with any mental illness because unlike clinical conditions that describe lack of empathy, Ben does maintain semi-functional family relationships and friendships; He also has both appreciation and moderate skills for music and sport - Piano and Boxing. Conversely, there is no opportunity to develop any sympathy for Ben either as he mercilessly smothers a ten year old boy.

And that is the brilliance of the film - Adroitly manipulating the viewer's mind and shaking away any predilection to slot away Ben as an aberration. Forcing the viewer to accept Ben's existence as fact; accept society's helplessness at ever reforming or redeeming Ben; accept that for a turn of chance, they might be the next random victims of Ben.

Multiple side-plots efficiently explored give a depth to the narrative that goes beyond the 95 minutes of running time. The most interesting side-plot is his relationship with the crew. The crew, through their meanness and pettiness, create a temporary sense of sympathy for Ben. It is easier to relate to the lone misfit who is cruelly unaware that he is being mocked than to the snobbish crew with their disheveled artsy attire and unwashed hippy hair. Their own baseness is evident when they are willing partners in a bout of rape facilitated by Ben and his ever present gun. While Ben is the skilled panther fending for himself, they are the hyenas of society feeding off the scraps. The situational and temporary power shifts are blindingly realistic.

Eventually though, there is no conceptualization of redemption for a man like Ben. Even when his girlfriend and mother are brutally killed - his remorse comes from a selfish loss of relationship, not love. Revenge for such an act is simply a matter of professional courtesy for Ben and personal grief is only incidental.

Benoît Poelvoorde is outstanding as Ben - from every drunken facial tic to the professional manner of hunting down his victims. Benoit masterfully represents Ben as a human with all the petty pride and insecurities that go with it even while indulging in demonically violent acts.

A disturbingly brilliant movie - with each scene worthy of expostulation - punctuated regularly with points of high black humor, Man bites dog is an enduring cult classic.

Flipnosis or The art of selling books based purely on hype of the genre

The worst part about this book is not that it has no original content, but that even when referencing other people's work, the author manages to mangle the findings beyond recognition.

Flipnosis, for the most part, is simply a disconnected set of anecdotes and quips. The author himself seems to have given up trying to find a pattern underlying these stories and from the third or fourth chapter assumes the role of a conversational companion to other people's studies. 

The most annoying aspect of this book is that it is unashamedly devoid of content and created purely to exploit the interest in the pop psychology genre. It is the equivalent of a action hero summer blockbuster. Kevin Dutton eve goes as far as to come up with some asinine acronym 'SPICE' for dissection of persuasion.

I would write more about the book, but gnashing my teeth is not good for dental health. Save your money and read Steven Pinker instead