I started E10 last night and woke up halfway through E11. It’s not that it was boring, I was just knackered. Need to watch 10-11-12 before Tuesday!
I found a great deal of ‘B.C.S’ to be knowingly obtuse. Part of me wanted to see more Saul ‘action’ in the vein of Breaking Bad but observing how he became such a character was after all the goal of the show. It seems origin stories put bums on seats? They could have done several seasons of Saul in Jail or Saul in Mexico which might have been interesting but overall I think what they did has worked and worked subtly. The characters aren’t disposable, the details add up to something, something memorable perhaps.
4 Likes
It’s different.
It’s wonderfully made.
I think it’s great. Who needs an hour of action. It’s an hour of something you don’t get anywhere else and I’m all over it.
2 Likes
The slower pace has given the character development room to breathe. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching how the various relationship dynamics have evolved.
3 Likes
Agree with all that. I wasn’t asking for an action-packed ‘Saul in Jail’ and have enjoyed much of the slower paced series. I guess it’s subjective as to where one draws the line, but there’s a difference between slower paced development and padding, and for me, there has been a fair amount of the latter (e.g. do I really need to see the clothes store theft planning in such laborious detail over a 1 hour episode? For me it could have been portrayed unhurriedly, in enough detail, in 30 mins). Appreciate it’s subjective though.
The focus on the mundane whilst affording brain ache did seem to have an aftereffect. The clothes store robbery is a good example. I can remember a lot of detail from that which had the process been quickened may have been lost (those cinnamon buns looked gooey) I suppose their argument might be when you go a 100 miles and hour you miss the view. On the other hand the illusion of real time has to hold attention and at times I just wanted the thing to hurry up! Now at the end, I kind of feel the pace frustrations / patience were worth it for the characterization and layers of the story which I guess is the reward?
Yes, and I think you can argue it does contribute something to the overall depth of characterization at least, as opposed to a show like Ozark where you had sub-plots almost or the sake of it (IMO).
Breaking Bad was always good for that too. The lavish focus on the details of mundane things, often at the introduction to a scene, etc. I think that’s been a bit of a tendency in American writing for some time. You see it in the writings of Updike, Don DeLillo, Jonathan Franzen, etc. I think BB and BCS are the first shows to really do it in television form.
1 Like
BCS doesn’t lead you by the hand.
It throws in references from older series and you have to make the connections. There isn’t any exposition and they don’t give you easy flashbacks.
It’s as it is. You do the math.
1 Like
Looking forward to this. Just about to start on BBC2
2 Likes
1 Like
Enjoyed that.
Storm Petrels are amazing and that Gyrfalcon!
1 Like
Yeah, I must go to Mousa Broch at some point, just means I would need to spend a night in Lerwick and get someone to look after the girls.
The ultimate raptor IME
One day, I’ll find one on Fetlar! One day!
1 Like
Last of the Mohicans.
Let down a bit by bad sound and a poor transfer.
Great action.
Inspired my Michael Mann releasing a prequel/sequel to Heat in novel form. Film to follow he hopes…
2 Likes
Watched the Gary Newman doc last night. Wasn’t overly impressed. I found his (R)evolution book far more entertaining and insightful.
Probably my favourite film. I hve had several versions of it starting on VHS, trying to track down one where the dialogue is properly lifted out of the very dense mix. The sound is incredibly poor but the latest Blu-Ray reissue does do a better job of separation.
Mann is my favourite director. Love Heat obviously, but The Insider is one of Pacino’s must underrated performances.
5 Likes
Bullet Train
Comedy caper with hints of Guy Ritchie/Tarantino in its quite complex storytelling. Brad Pitt stars as one of several hit men/women who find themselves for various, possibly connected reasons on the Tokyo-Kyoto bullet train. Some funny dialogue & set pieces in 2 hours of entertaining & violent hokum. Enjoyable.
3 Likes
What channel is it on Guy?
It was at Cineworld today!
It was typical of quite a few modern ‘action’ films where you’re initially assailed by a deluge of plot exposition & sequences that don’t appear to fit any narrative & then gradually the pace slows and all of the riddles & non sequiturs start to make sense such that by the end you know exactly what happened.
Ah. Ill wait for it on Netflix or somesuch
1 Like