Goodbye Breaking Bad

SPOILER ALERT! Do not read unless you have seen Breaking Bad Season 5 Episode 15 'Granite Slate'.

Still reading? Good. As you probably know Breaking Bad is coming to an end this Sunday and I wanted to write a post on it. This may be a movie blog but with TV as good as it is at the moment how could I not talk about the best show there is? In fact Breaking Bad is better then anything I have ever seen. It is one giant movie that has the most interesting storylines and brilliantly complex characters that every filmmaker can only dream of making.

I haven't been a viewer since day 1 and like a lot of people I started the show pretty late in. Actually it was about a year ago I was recommended the show and started watching and I have not turned back since. 3 T-shirts and 1 poster later we come to the finale, the episode we have all been waiting for and dreading at the same time. So what makes Breaking Bad so good?

For me it's the characters and the writers who have developed them. They are so well written that at times you love them and at times you hate them. Of course the most obvious example is Walter White, the good guy turned bad, the underdog who became a feared criminal in the drug rings of Albuquerque, as the notorious Heisenberg. Walter White is evil and manipulative yet we still find it in our hearts to root for him. Did anyone really want Hank to take him down? He was our underdog, he was the nerd that went out and did something. We've been with him from day one and we can't turn our backs on him just yet because we want him to succeed in a weird and twisted way. Maybe this is just me but I want an ending for Walter White that he is satisfied with, where he can take something from his experience before dying instead of thinking it was all for nothing, which at the moment it is and even more so after the heartbreaking phone call between him and Walter Jr. I must give credit where credits due though, I don't think anyone could pull off the character like Bryan Cranston, who is one of the best actors around at the moment along with the whole cast of Breaking Bad.

The character I most care for however is Jesse Pinkman. If Walter is breaking bad then I want Jesse to break good. Can Jesse be the only kind of happy ending for the show? I don't want him to die and I have spent every episode worrying that he would. I have been on edge ever since Walter gave him that one final hug before Jesse found out some horrifying truths. And last weeks episode even more so, I almost had heart failure when he was caught trying to escape creepy Todd and his neo-nazi buddies, only to find out that they would not kill him but instead make him suffer, with one of the shows most shocking and darkest moments. Unfortunately I've got a feeling the show may have a few of those left for the finale. But please Vince Gilligan, please let Jesse live, hasn't he been through enough?

The next best element about this show is it's filmmaking. Whoever comes on board to direct seems to to do a stellar job of making every episode of the show look and feel amazing. A lot of this may be down to the cinematography which has made some of the most beautiful looking shots on TV that just adds to the professionalism and ultimate cool style of the show.

I truly cannot get enough of Breaking Bad. It is an incredible piece of art that will remembered as the Citizen Kane of Television. I would be surprised if another show could come around soon and be just as good. This is why am dreading the finale, I just don't want it to end but know that it must. The final episode has a lot of plots to tie up but I know that the insanely good writers and filmmakers can create an ending that is entertaining, emotional and satisfying all whilst giving us the usual Breaking Bad charm that nothing will ever be as you expect. I don't want to predict the end, I want the writers to do that themselves and end it the way they believe is best. No doubt I will be an emotional wreck by the time the show is over. Goodbye Breaking Bad.

Thank you Breaking Bad for truly being the best show ever made.

Rush

You do not need to be a fan of Formula 1 to watch and enjoy Rush. All you need to be a fan of is great stories and tremendous film making. Fortunately for me, I am a fan of all three and absolutely loved Rush and believe it to be the best film of the year so far!

Rush tells the incredible true story of the rivalry/friendship of Formula 1 drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauder. As an F1 fan I am aware of this story but it was great to see it unfold on the big screen that truly captured the narrative in an exciting and emotional form. One of the greatest things about seeing the film is the brilliant casting, the actors were almost identical to that of the real people involved. Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl give off the best performances of their careers whilst looking perfect as Hunt and Lauder. With the Oscars already starting to be a talking subject I could definitely see their names being thrown about as well as the film itself.

The film has a very stylish look and it seems hit and miss director Ron Howard has put a lot more effort into this film compared to his last effort with the disappointing The Dilemma. The film takes you straight back to the 70's with it's excellent cinematography that recreates races perfectly and puts you in the drivers seat getting up close and personal with the drivers themselves. All with a nostalgic aesthetic and an awesome score from Hanz Zimmer that makes this film feel very, very cool.

But it's not really about the racing, although it does play a big part in moving the story forward, it's more about the two maverick drivers. Both different, both with pro's and con's that make you empathise with each driver in different ways. The script by Peter Morgan is very good at not making you root for just one of the driver's but seeing the different points of view of both. 

The dangers of F1 are considerably lower now than they were in the 70's and the film questions what type of men wish to risk their lives racing cars, men who have nothing to lose?. These questions of morality and love make Rush deeper then just your average biopic and Ron Howard succeeds in making one biopic about two men and events that would change both of their lives. The film is a fast paced emotional rollercoaster from start to finish, that packs a punch for audience member whether they be F1 fans or not. Rush is not just the best film of this year, it is also one of the best I have ever seen, a truly inspiring work of film making that I am giving a rating of 5/5.

Did you love Rush as much as I did? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!