The Newsroom “News Night with Will McAvoy”: Real time news coverage

Sloan looks worried on The Newsroom

Photo Credit: HBO

A full review of the best episode of The Newsroom to date as soon as I wait for that audio file to download…

It worked it really worked! I sat in disbelief tonight watching the Newsroom’s finest hour “News Night with Will McAvoy” play out in such a clean and effective manner after juggling so many pieces at the same time. Usually the show lets the pieces fall into a strange mess of stupid romantic comedy and over preachy news coverage, but “News Night with Will McAvoy” fit so well together with so many of the pieces that usually bring the show down completely  gone. It was beautiful!

The best thing that “News Night with Will McAvoy” could have done was to make the episode play out in real time. This allowed the scenes to play out with a certain amount of urgency and the storylines to be resolved by the end of the episode. There was no time for dilly dallying and messing around with bad jokes in meetings, weird tech flubs or bad romantic comedy, it was all about clear and efficiently told stories that were effective on every level. If I had it my way this is the way most episodes of The Newsroom would play out in real time as it seems to allow Sorkin to be good with emotional beets and not allow him to trip over himself constantly. Also it puts the best part of the entire show the actual making of News Night. Really it just allows time for the show to use its best element to its advantage and that is always a good thing.

Let’s start with the first Will storyline in forever to actually work well. The arc of Will’s father dying was very well handled both from the writing and acting side. It feels completely in character for Will to react that way and Jeff Daniels plays Will with his usual confused seeming cool. It wasn’t annoying, pretentious, or smug but instead managed to work as a beautiful emotional sequence. Will’s relationship with his father is perfectly displayed in only the brief moments of insight that are given. It’s a beautiful piece of character that needed no bad jokes or romantic tension to pull off and it was wonderful.

Another wonderful character pieces was Sloan’s naked pictures arc in this episode. I was dreading the arc at the beginning of the episode because it made Sloan look like an idiot and it paired her with Don. I feared that it would be a horrible degradation of a great character but I couldn’t be more wrong. Sloan’s arc provided insight into the character and her feelings and didn’t make any stupid moves towards being more romantically interested in Don. It also ended with her freaking kicking her former boyfriend in the balls and punching him in the face then taking a picture of the wreckage she made all out of revenge for the photos of her that he posted. Then in a move of sheer brilliance Don’s there to help her get away, without a stupid awkward romance scene trailing or following. They just worked as a tag team, and handled the situation perfectly. It was isolated from the rest of the episode mostly but it provided two of the show’s better characters something fantastic to do, and that’s what counts.

The rest of the episode revolved around how everyone was dealing with making an actual episode of News Night. Finally we see how Mac can be a very competent executive producer as she makes all the right calls here. The show shows her in complete control of her product and how she’s not messing around with it. She was in control of Will, in control of the other producers around her, and even on the guest who wanted to come out on her show (she was having none of that publicity stunt). When there is a mess up Mac handles it with grace and control. There is none of the yelling and crazy business seen last season. Her handling of Neil can be a tad tough at times but it comes off likable and well placed instead of crazy and annoying. Also Maggie now goes two weeks without being completely annoying and awful, and after last week seems much more sympathetic to me. This may change in a week but for now I’m ok with Maggie for a little bit. (By the way when on the Newsroom timeline does Maggie cut her hair because she hasn’t at the time of this episode)

“News Night with Will McAvoy” was easily the best episode of the Newsroom even better than the show’s very good pilot. It allowed all the most interesting parts of the show to pop and the character arcs to actually work. It was a fantastic episode that is a bright spot for the show, and even if the show goes back to being stupid and frustrating next week (which is a good bet) I will be able to look back at “News Night with Will McAvoy” as an example of just how good this show has the potential of being.

That’s just me though. What did everyone else think.

Breaking Bad “Blood Money” Review: Let the end games begin

 Walt and Jessie talk about things on Breaking Bad

Photo Credit: AMC TV

Full spoilers for “Blood Money.” You have been warned…

A review of tonight’s premiere of Breaking Bad as soon as Scotty beams pies from my stomach into space…

“It was you! All along, it was you!!”

-Hank

So here we are it’s time for the end game. Throughout the absolutely spectacular final season premiere “Blood Money” it’s made very clear very early that we’re on our way to hell on a bullet train and the road there isn’t going to be all that smooth. Vince Gilligan and his merry band of writers have made it very clear in “Blood Money” that sparks are going to fly and hell is about to break loose in all sorts of fascinating ways. It’s just time to sit back and take it all in, however horrifying it will be.

Let’s get straight to Walt and Hank’s epic showdown. It’s clear from the start of “Blood Money” just how devastated and confused Hank is after he reads the note in the Walt Whitman book. All along Hank would have never imagined that Walt had the capability to do all of what he’s done. Hank has entered a different dimension, one so frightening that it’s hard for him to imagine. That’s why Hank doesn’t mention anything to Walt at first and leaves the dinner pretending to be sick. Hank is in total shock and is completely confused by his discovery; he cannot believe that something like this has completely gone right under his nose all along.

From the first moment that he sees Hank after the toilet incident Walt knows that Hank has found out about his double life. Walt has known how to read people for long periods of time now, especially someone as close to him as Hank. Walt is worried right away and begins checking for leads on if Hank is spying on him or not. What he finds is a GPS tracker on his car and that his all important Walt Whitman book is missing. 

 So looking for any sign of Hank finding things out he goes and tries to confront Hank.

At the beginning of the conversation is pretty normal with a little bit of tension present in it. It’s clear that both the men know something is up, the tension continues to build between the two of them. Then Walt, the master he is, pulls the GPS tracker on Hank, probably to see what Hank knows. Then all hell breaks loose. All of Hanks feelings come out at once and he first punches and then grabs hold of Walt. It’s a mix of feelings coming out at once; Hank is angry, disturbed and sad at the same time. The punch leads into a tense talk one that forces Walt to try and to defend himself. It’s a short conflict ending with both parties in a stalemate knowing neither what either party will do. It’s an absolutely fantastic sequence one that feels natural given Breaking Bad’s measured pace yet comes earlier than expected given everything that comes before it. It’s go time now and it’s very reassuring that Gilligan is pulling no punches at this point.

Jessie is also in a dark place, as he has no idea how to react to having five million dollars of “blood money” sitting in his living room. He’s dying inside from what he’s done in the past and wants to ultimately just give it all away. After not being able to give it to the two people that he wanted to give it to due to Walt and Saul’s interference, he just simply throws it out the window at every house on the way, trying to rid himself of all the money he’s gotten from his dark past. Jessie’s arc is as usual disturbing and powerful and allows the audience to hope and pray that Jessie ends up redeemed.

Finally we end where the episode began, with the future. The sequence at the beginning of the episode provided yet another glimpse into what is to become of Walt. This time we get a glimpse of the gated off version of the now abandoned White family house and the skateboarders that now have taken over the empty pool. The big revelation is that Walt is still able to collect the risen that he hid a long time ago and that somehow and for some reason he’s going to have to use it. It’s frightening, ominous and allows the viewer to gain insight on where we’re going. It’s time to sit back and enjoy was what should be a spectacular ride.

Only seven episodes left…

Some other Musings:

• Hello, Carol

• The cancer is back. We get to see Walt going through kimo again, and he even brings it up as a talking point during his confrontation with Hank.

• The sequence where Skyler gets to tell Lidia off is pretty glorious knowing just how annoying Lidia can be. It’s a great showpiece moment for Anna Gunn who doesn’t have all that much to do in this first hour.

• How about Dean Norris and Bryan Cranston in that glorious confrontation? They really put on an acting clinic in this one.

• Is it just me or does it seem that Jessie really doesn't believe Walt's story about Mike?

• Bryan Cranston has turned out to be one heck of a director as this was yet again another fantastcially directed premiere.

• I wish I could write a Star Trek script as fantastic as Badgers. Now what would happen in a Paul Kinsey Badger Star Trek script-off?

The review next week will happen but will be a few days late because of a big schedule conflict.

That’s just me though. What did everyone else think?

Elysium Review

Matt Damon in action in Elysium

Photo Credit: Sony Pictures

Elysium

A-

A Review by Frederick Cholowski

This summer has had its fair share of big budget, premise based Sci-Fi films. Elysium is the latest and the best of this crop of films. Writer, director Neil Blomkamp, who was responsible for the fantastic District 9, creates a dark and destructive vision of the future with heavy political undertones. Such a film could turn out to be a disaster, but under the steady eye of Blomkamp Elysium manages to shine as bright as possible given its just less than two hour constraints.

At the end of the twenty first century Earth has been practically destroyed. Overpopulation and pollution have ravaged the earth forcing the rich to build a super high tech new habitat called Elysium and the poor to be left behind on the barren wasteland that is Earth. Max a former thief and now lower class worker on Earth suffers an accidental incineration after his boss forces him to try to do unsafe work to keep his job. He is hit with a lot of radiation from the accident and is told that he has only five days left to live. Not ready to die Max sets out for aid from an old boss Spider (Wagner Moura) to get him to Elysium to fix his illness. Spider accepts if Max is willing to do one job for him steal the information that is in an earthbound Elysium executive John Carlyle (William Fichtner). Turns out Carlyle was given the reboot codes for all of Elysium by Elysium’s somewhat extreme defense senator Delacourt (Jodie Foster) who uses frowned upon methods such as her super evil super soldier Kruger (Sharlto Copley). After the codes are stolen let’s just say that Delacourt wants them back and so a now part robot (so he can have more strength while suffering from the radiation) Max has to outrun Kruger’s team of assassins but also ensure that his childhood friend Frey’s (Alice Braga) young daughter Matilda (Emma Tremblay) can get up to Elysium as well to heal her stage three leukemia.

Elysium has a ton of moving peaces which for the most part actually plays to its strengths. Elysium has a lot of political commentary hammered into its less than two hour running time including various comments on sustainability, the military, right wing extremism, and biggest of all immigration. The issues come fast and quickly but Neil Blomkamp manages to make it all work by making a very intense two hour experience one that keeps the viewer on their toes for the entire experience. Elysium is never hard to follow nor is it ever preachy because Blomcamp has a very good human story at the centre. The stories of Max, Frey, Delacourt, and Kruger are all super interesting and that paired with the very well shot action keep the film moving at a very intense pace; especially once the film reaches its second half.

That being said it’s hard not to escape the thought that the material that makes up Elysium isn’t really made to fit into a two hour film, but instead feels like something that should be drawn out over a ten to thirteen episode television miniseries. One of the strengths of Blomkamp’s previous film District 9 is that the story felt contained enough to fit into the span of two hours and all the issues fit well within the time span of the film. Elysium feels like there can be entire films based around one element of the premise alone, and that something like a miniseries could help flesh out many of the ideas and characters that are presented in the film. Ultimately the film has to be judged for what it is, which is a very good and very intense just shy of two hour film that happens to comment on a lot of different issues, but it’s very hard to shake the fact that if it were a longer experience and all the elements of the film were allowed to breath it could be something truly special. It has the potential to be like a season of the Wire that is set in the future, it really does.

The acting in this film is solid across the board. Matt Damon gets to be a more action hero version of himself (think something like a more down to earth Jason Borne) and pulls it off very well given the constraints of his character (which is the writing’s fault more than his, see the previous paragraph for why that is). Jodie Foster isn’t given all that much to do but plays what she is given very well. The real standout in the film is Sharlto Copley who gets to be fantastically evil as Kruger. Copley plays Kruger with so much energy and rage, and ends up steeling every scene he’s in. He carries much of the film’s tension and ends up creating a very memorable villain.

Visually Blomkamp has turned out to be quite the director. Elysium is a wonderfully shot film and one that manages to use its camera movements to dictate both its pace and intensity. There is still some of the camera shaking that remains from District 9 but this time Blomkamp is very smart with how he uses it, often leaving it for moments that are supposed to be utterly chaotic. The result is a beautifully gritty film that makes the most of its R rating. Yes the bloody violence seen previously in District 9 makes its return in full force providing a few exploding heads and bodies. It’s all ultimately well directed and shows how good Blomkamp has gotten over the course of just two films. The score scene here is usual intense Sci-Fi fair but does provide a good way to keep the film feeling constantly intense.

Elysium is the best of 2013’s crop of blockbusters, even though it doesn’t seem to fit in that category all that well. The film is a smart, energetic, and very intense two hour experience that manages to thrill and be thought provoking. The material may have ultimately be better served in a longer form of storytelling, but ultimately Elysium manages to be a very good film that just misses greatness because of its unfortunate constraints.

Mad Men Rewatch 2013: Season 1 Ep. 10 “Long Weekend” Total Eclipse of the Heart

Roger and his twins on the couch on Mad Men

Photo Credit: AMC TV 

It’s rewatch time!! For the first time ever this summer we will be watching an old season of a television show over the course of several weeks. Installments will be posted Sundays and Wednesdays with the posts spoiling only the episode that is being talked about. This summer the rewatch is on the first season of Mathew Weiner’s 1960’s period piece Mad Men, one of the great first seasons of television.

Thoughts on Mad Men’s tenth episode “Long Weekend” as soon as I search for the right pair of twins…

“I know people say life goes on, and it does; but no one tells you that’s not a good thing. Why is that?”

-Betty

At the beginning of “Long Weekend” one would never expect to be leaving the hour feeling like one’s gut has been punched. The episode starts out like a more fun episode of Mad Men that would serve ultimately as an analysis of the lives and friendships of both Don and Roger and Joan and her friend Carol. It all seems like awkward fun with different elements of each friendship being examined so that new light can be shed on each of the characters… Then suddenly Roger has a heart attack and the entire emotional landscape of the episode changes.

Before the sudden heart attack “Long Weekend” seems to focus on the dynamic of friendship and the need to escape from one’s family. Roger hasn’t been happy in his relationship for a while longing for Joan to sleep with him while Mona and the kids are away. Don would do almost anything to get away from his estranged wife Betty who is going on and on about whom her father is courting. Both of them use the excuse of having to work and Roger takes in to twins he found at casting to help them “celebrate.” Don doesn’t necessarily want to be there, he has his own people he would rather be with, but they both spend the night together to try and escape their families. Roger enjoys every second of the evening and even begins to have fun with one of the ladies and the escape seems to be working quite well.

Then Roger has the heart attack. It doesn’t really come out of nowhere; Roger is as drunk as a skunk and is having a little too much fun for his old good thus putting a lot of pressure on Roger’s old heart. The moment hits like dynamite though, not really from a plot perspective (Mad Men isn’t really known for its plot revelations) but from an emotional one. Suddenly there is a since of fear and weakness that appears for these characters, a fear of impending doom. Roger survives but is now emotionally broken and is clinging to life. Suddenly his family is the most important thing to him. His daughter whom he was just having troubles with early on in the episode is now the greatest person on earth. At this moment Roger couldn’t care less about what he was going to try to do with Joan on the weekend, when he sees the end only his true family matters.

Don on the other hand takes the fear of death in different ways. Instead of fearing death and immediately returning to his family so that he can cherish them he goes straight for Rachel whom he has been hunting for the whole season now. He fears that he is so estranged for his family that the only thing that he can do now is start with another woman and tell her things that he has never told anyone else. Yes after a long talk and eventually convincing her to have sex with him Don decides that he can reveal more things about himself than to anyone else. It’s not that Don feels more comfortable with Rachel but instead the fear death is knocking after Roger’s heart attack and Don feels he has to get the info off his chest at one point. At this point Don can’t tell Betty as the lie may crumble their relationship, but bringing it to Rachel feels like the right step with their relationship. Don’s strange reaction shows that he is moving further and further away from his family and that he begins to care more about his outside life in crisis than his actual family.

The main subplot of the episode involves Joan and her friend Carol. The subplot is fairly simple as it involves the juxtaposition of the two friends and where they are in their lives. Carol is lost, emotionally broken and begins even hitting on Joan. Joan seems to have life figured out, she has money, she’s attractive, and emotionally stable. The rest of the subplot involves Joan grieving Roger’s heart attack and dealing with where this puts her emotionally. It puts Joan in an interesting place, one that allows her to evaluate how she’s actually doing in her emotional life.

“Long Weekend” starts off simple but by the end becomes a deeply tragic and complicate emotional study of where some of the characters in the Mad Men world are and where they are going. The episode provides great set up for where the arcs of the season are going to finish and the places where the characters may eventually end up.