Mr Robot - season 2 - episode 12 (finale)

I absolutely love Mr Robot! It's by far the best series on TV right now for all the right reasons. It's clever, interesting, up to date, mysterious, the cinematography is gorgeous, the characters well written  and acted and every episode feels like a new experience, unlike any other TV series out there.

I became a fan of it last year, when I accidentally stumbled upon it when just 2 or 3 episodes were released of season 1 and I knew I was hooked (mostly because of Elliot's character and the way mental illness was well portrayed, which is rare on TV). I was so happy to have found such a cool TV show, which felt so indie but modern at the same time and few people knew about it. Now that it has been nominated for so many Emmy awards and Rami Malek actually winning one, I glad that the show it's getting more exposure, but I'm afraid that it might turn too commercial and predictable to appeal to a wider audience, which brings me to my issue with the last episode.

Season 1 was crazy good and I didn't think season 2 could top that but it somehow managed to do that, for 11 amazing episodes. However, episode 12 was a miss in my opinion.

I get the fact that the "final" episode was split into two episodes, but I think the season could have ended with episode 11 and everything would have been fine, because it was, maybe, the best episode of the entire show! In was so mysterious and bold, which is quite a risky combo for TV, but appeared so fresh.

The entire season was a big build up for the nothingness of the last episode. It didn't attempt to answer any question of the season, but it raised a few others. The scenes with Darlene and Dom were fine, but the ones involving Elliot and Tyrell really annoyed me because the show tried again the twist from season 1, so it basically ripped itself off. I don't think anybody was expecting a crazy reveal that Tyrell is yet another part of Elliot's mind, so that was just a waste of time which dragged the episode and felt interminable. I believe that the ending was so much like any other season finale from any other drama series where they need a cliffhanger to make sure they bring the audience back for the next season, which I felt was a cheap trick and not worthy of how great this show is, it just didn't do it justice. I think the season should have ended with episode 11 and that was enough of a hook, if the creator didn't intend to explain anything in the next episode. 

I really hope Mr Robot won't take a turn for the commercial and wider audience (how I see Game of Thrones has done for the last season or two, dragging the stories for so long I just can't be bothered to watch, although I was a big fan in the beginning), it should just stay a weird, indie cool series for a smarter audience which doesn't need everything spelled out for it. 

Bridge of spies

Bridge of spies is a historical drama directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Tom Hanks as James B. Donovan, the charismatic, skillful lawyer who, during the Cold War, is assigned to represent a soviet spy caught in the US and soon he begins to feel the pressure and anger of the revolted americans regarding the case. In parallel, there is an american pilot who is caught by the Russians and soon, the main character finds himself forced by the government to make a trade between the countries. The movie follows true events, based on a screenplay written by the Cohen brother.

I would say this is a classic Oscars movie, including a historical event, one of America's favorite actors, suspense, scene repetitions for emotional impact and Spielberg's style is easy to spot. The film looks really good, the scenes are fluid and beautifully shot, I enjoyed the chromatic of the picture, while Tom Hanks' performance is great. 

I didn't mind this movie, it is a very good movie, just that it's not one of my favorites. It has every ingredient to be an Academy contender and maybe this is the issue for me, it brings nothing new to the table (some will say this is a strong point). I feel like this will mostly be enjoyed by my parents. :) I do appreciate the history lesson and I never say no to a Tom Hanks movie, but probably I will not watch it again, as Spielberg's style and theme choices are not really my first options when I want to watch a film.

One of the best things about it is probably the performance of America's sweetheart, Tom Hanks in the main role, who manages to give a soft edge to the character, followed by the performance of Mark Rylence in the role of the soviet spy. I guess I mostly enjoyed the dialogue between the two and the scenes where both of them are together. Also, Spielberg does an impressive job directing the movie, as always, with long takes and face close ups just at the right moments.

All in all, Bridge of spies is a good Spielberg movie, worth seeing for good directing and an interesting history lesson, resolved with words, not action.

Room

Room is a movie directed by Lenny Abrahamson, starring Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay as a mother and her 5 year old son who are held captive in a small room by a man who kidnapped the woman when she was only 17. The film very well depicts the psychological consequences an event like this has on a person's mental health and especially the one of a child, as well as its extension to the girl's parents.

The movie is well constructed, with a deep and powerful script and fantastic performances. There are many emotional scenes throughout the film and some of them, I admit, brought some tears to my eyes and the credit mostly goes to the stellar performances of both Brie Larson and the kid. She  manages to bring such a diverse range of emotions from motherly love and care to desperation, frustration and the feeling of lost hope. 

However, Jacob Trembaly stole the spotlight at the young age of 9! I can imagine it is really hard to work with a child on set, especially when he plays such a big role in the movie, but he really managed to deliver. I have no idea how they made him express such rough, strong emotions, but I can see a bright future for him in acting.

The first act of the movie can be viewed as the typical kidnap movie, without the cliches of the genre, but the second act is even better because it deals with the afterward emotions, which I haven't seen too often portrayed in cinema. I also enjoyed the fact that the movie is not romanticized or sugar coated and I love the fact that it has the child's point of view, which gives it an interesting perspective. 

All in all, this movie definitely deserves some Oscar recognition and I hope the Academy will show some love for Brie Larson, as they overlooked Jacob for a nomination. Go check out the movie, it's one of the best in the motion picture category.