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David McK (3219 KP) rated Devotion (2022) in Movies

Feb 12, 2023 (Updated Feb 12, 2023)  
Devotion (2022)
Devotion (2022)
2022 |
5
6.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
I saw this on Amazon Prime (I don't think it got a theatrical release), and heard good things about it, with a few of the reviewers saying it was even better than Top Gun: Maverick.

Unfortunately, I think they watched a different film than me.

This is set during the Korean War, and tells the story of the friendship between Naval aviators Tom Hudner and Jesse Brown; the latter one of the first non-white aviators in the air force at the time.

 Personally, I found the film to be quite long and drawn-out, with even the vaunted flight scenes looking just not-quite right!
  
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
2019 | Drama
When we last saw Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), he was driving away in an El Camino car, having just been freed from six months or so of captivity and slavery. It was the final moments of what is arguably one of the greatest TV shows of all time - Walter White (Bryan Cranston) had come to the aid of his long time friend, and collaborator in the meth business, freeing him from the clutches of a gang of Nazis in what turned out to be a bloodbath. Jesse, clearly a broken man, drove away from it all, into the night, fighting back tears as he let out a scream of pain and relief.

As with all great stories, whether in a book, a movie or a TV show, you do naturally wonder what might have happened next to the characters who have taken you on a journey with them. If the finale is good enough, you can feel satisfied simply by drawing your own conclusions. In the case of Breaking Bad, did Jesse turn a corner, only to be met by a bunch of cops who then lock him up for the rest of his life? Or did he manage to find well deserved peace and solace, a chance to finally live out his days with some kind of normality? Series creator and writer Vince Gilligan clearly had some ideas of his own, and the result is this 2 hour Netflix movie, titled El Camino.

We’ve not been without our fix of the Breaking Bad world since the show ended in 2013 though. Better Call Saul, about to start its fifth season, has acted as a prequel, telling the story of the rise of Saul Goodman, the seedy lawyer who helped Walter and Jesse throughout much of Breaking Bad. It shares much of the same style and tone as Breaking Bad, magnificently scripted and proving to be compulsive viewing. It has also gradually begun weaving other familiar characters from Breaking Bad into the story too, helping us to understand what brought these characters to the point they were at in Breaking Bad, but never (so far) featuring lead characters Walter and Jesse.

El Camino picks up pretty much where Breaking Bad left off. Jesse is clearly a person of interest with the law - not only for his drug crime days, but also because they know that someone fled the scene where a machine gun massacre took place, resulting in nine dead bodies. It’s neither an immediate capture, or an escape to a happy ending though. Instead, we’re treated to something that’s a little in between, and El Camino closely follows Jesse to show us just how that all plays out for him.

There was some big news recently when it was revealed that a large number of Breaking Bad characters would be appearing in El Camino and speculation was rife as to who those characters would be. They appear either in flashback form, or in present day situations, and all justifiably serve to drive the story forward, whether it be as a moment of reflection and poignancy, an aid to understanding Jesse’s current actions, or just as a cool little Easter egg for fans of the show. I must admit though, I had to resort to Google to try and remember how some of the characters fitted into the Breaking Bad show, but that could just be down to my lousy memory!

El Camino is packed full of the steady, confident, detailed pacing that we know and love from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. Action, drama, emotion, it’s all there as a determined Jesse tries to acquire enough money to be able to start over. There’s a constant feeling throughout though that this is a story we didn’t really need, but it is certainly a welcome one, and a real joy to be back in this world and in the company of these great characters once again, if only for a short while.
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Aug 4, 2022  
Joining me on my blog today is author Preston Lewis in a fascinating interview about his historical Western series, the Three Rivers Trilogy. You can also read up about the third book in the trilogy, RIO HONDO, and enter the giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of the book - two winners!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2022/08/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-rio-hondo.html

**RIO HONDO SYNOPSIS**
With the embers of the Lincoln County War still burning, rancher Wes Bracken must rebuild his life amid the white-hot animosities lingering from the deadly feud. His vengeful brother-in-law vows to kill him, the county's economic kingpin seeks revenge, and the despicable outlaw Jesse Evans, who violated Bracken's wife, intends to murder Bracken and his young family. Two promises complicate Bracken's survival chances: a pledge not to kill his wife's brother and a commitment to help William H. Bonney earn a governor's pardon for his crimes. To survive and fulfill his dream of a peaceful life in 1880s New Mexico Territory, Bracken must fight a corrupt legal system, a duplicitous governor, a ubiquitous political ring, and the evil Jesse Evans. If Bracken keeps his promises to his wife and Billy the Kid, he risks an early grave in the same soil that holds so many of the Lincoln County War's dead. If he ignores those pledges, he will dishonor the good name he hopes to build his future upon.
     
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019)
2019 | Drama
Contains spoilers, click to show
I’m of the opinion that ‘Breaking Bad’ is one of the greatest TV shows of all time and the ultimate example of how to end a TV show properly. Which is why when I heard this was being made I couldn’t help but be a bit apprehensive and unfortunately I did come away from this a bit underwhelmed. Aaron Paul puts in a great performance and I enjoyed catching up with Jesse and some other old faces again but this wasn’t really a story that absolutely needed to be told. I felt the action was a little flat and draggy at times as well. Barring a very brief crowd pleasing flashback cameo you really miss having Walter White on screen. Not having him there you realise just how much Bryan Cranston absolutely dominated the series and his absence is really felt. It’s still an enjoyable watch even if lacking the magic of the show and certainly worthy of your time but ultimately it probably didn’t need to have been made.