Alternate Best Actor 2019: Aaron Paul in El Camino

Aaron Paul did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Jesse Pinkman in El Camino.

El Camino is the satisfying epilogue chapter to Breaking Bad, following Jesse Pinkman as he attempts to escape the law after having escaped imprisonment by white supremacists.

Aaron Paul returns to his breakout role of Jesse Pinkman, the original co-partner of teacher turned drug kingpin Walter White (Bryan Cranston). A role that originally was going to be a technical throwaway, however Paul's success within it, and his chemistry with Cranston led to Jesse to being nearly as essential to the series as Cranston's Walter White. It was with this that there were really only two major unresolved threads in the series finale, which was one of the greatest finales ever, partially perhaps because it carefully honed in on Walter. This did however leave Jesse relatively shortchanged to only a few minutes of screentime for the secondary protagonist of the series, where we left him having escaped his imprisonment in one El Camino, at the very least away from his horrible predicament. El Camino then focuses on what happened next for Jesse, and gives us a chance to return to Aaron Paul in the role, which the sum total of his work made up one of the greatest performances on television. This is then fascinating in that through the use of flashbacks, that effectively create sort of different points of Jesse's path towards his final one in this film. Aaron Paul, in addition to showing where Jesse goes after the end of the series, also must revisit some of his earlier points in performance by realizing the Jesse in different times of his life during the series.

We see Jesse in these sort of conversations built upon his future and the path he might take with each person. The earliest of these being in his conversations with Walter, and another with Jesse's eventually deceased girlfriend Jane (Krysten Ritter). In each scene Paul's work instantly recalls Jesse at this former state. This with the qualities of what made his performance so great in the first two seasons of the show. This being this unique sort of charm he managed to find with the character. This in the energetic and unabashed enthusiasm. Paul is completely cued into this once again, this right down to even his different sort of manner of speaking, that is a little more over the top, with a typical false bravado. This carried more by even his physical performance that is overtly relaxed in every regard. Paul recreates the guy in the drug trade, at the time, for the fun of it as everything he does has a zest to it. Paul's hilarious once again even in the role by being quite honestly in portraying the sort of naivety, but even stupidity of Jesse at this stage. As much as the character is doing some very bad things technically speaking, Paul is able to capture again the innate likability with that aggressive enthusiasm of a young man just loving what he thinks he's getting out of it. This while acting still in many ways like a high school student. This reflected again in his relationship with Walter at this time, where Paul acts not on the same level, in terms of status, as his attitude manages to be both dismissive yet respectful, fitting of a promising yet problematic student. This is a bit different in his scene with Jane, near the end of the film, however the same idea within the character. Jesse though is more sorted within himself and his element in Paul's portrayal accentuating a bit more maturity and genuine love.

We then jump considerably more towards his time, still in the drug trade though seemingly near its end, as he speaks about the future with criminal fixer Mike (Jonathan Banks). Paul effectively creates yet another phase in Jesse, this with a lot more wear, but also a bit more maturity in the moment. His conversation with Mike being of a different kind of student, this of a man attempting to try to learn something from the conversation. Paul though most importantly evokes the weight of his time in the trade, that led to many deaths and losses. This showing how he became arguably even more compelling, even as he completely left his comic relief roles, in portraying the man in some ways broken but also built up by the experience in this moment. This as he speaks with that greater maturity, eyes certainly worn more, but his manner that of a great confidence within himself. Then we have the extended flashbacks of Jesse still in captivity particularly in his interactions with the sociopath Todd (Jesse Plemons) who calls on Jesse to help him dispose of a body. Paul is amazing in these scenes in portraying the brutal state of Jesse in these moments. This as his eyes just bearing such a searing pain, that has worn down, however still feels constant. This as he delivers the sense of a man both having suffered multiple beatings but also has suffered worse in seeing horrible sights to keep him in place. His broken down state is made so vivid by Paul in his manner that is downright haunting as a physical meekness that is basically of a beaten dog. This in showing a scene where Jesse has a potential escape again, Paul shows such a horrible desperation even in the act, and then when he doesn't attempt it, he's heart-wrenching in showing a man nearly dead inside from his experience.

In linear chronologically then the film opens with Jesse where he stopped in Breaking Bad, that in getting away from his prison with a grinning face of happiness though still steeped within an anguish filled mania. This of a man heading from his past, but not really in a direction towards anywhere other than away from it. This though ends as he initially seeks refuge from now the police at his friend's home. There Paul captures still this intensity within the escape as his eyes still feature the wounds of the experience. This in portraying the rush in as Jesse devours food of a starving man, then lashes out within the reaction of ptsd of his experience. Paul manages to create the sense of Jesse just barely holding it together initially before calming down. Paul though realizes this as a different Jesse as well, this at his quietest as he pulls in to still convey every experience Jesse has gone to, though now this only underlines a sense of determination to maintain his freedom. Paul is great in these moments of honestly just reacting to the situation with a real nuance, as he conveys the doggedness of Jesse to attempt to save himself as he tries to make an escape plan. Paul shows a man who still has in no way recovered from his situation but is starting to. This though is quickly challenged as Jesse seeks out cash from the now dead Todd's apartment only to run into two rock bottom criminals looking for the same. When it initially appears that he will be caught again, Paul is honestly devastating in his face bearing the idea of the horror of imprisonment again so vividly just before he surrenders, only to avoid killing seemingly, only the time, innocent people. Jesse figures his way out of the situation, where we get a bit of his greatness from the series though in just the sort of ferocity he brings within Jesse in his moments of survival. This as Paul always captured this specific force in Jesse, that is marked in desperation, but also with a striking sense of conviction. His plan eventually brings him to a man who specializes in disappearances (Robert Forster), though things don't quite go well.

As mentioned in my review of Forster's work, this is an impeccably realized largely comic scene, to which Paul's work is as essential. This as he doesn't revert back to the older Jesse, but rather naturally, yet also hilariously, finds sort of the edges of his less cunning self. This such as in his more humorous desperation in saying "You're the guy" hoping for the man to reveal himself, and his overt joy at figuring it out. This though with Paul's perfect timing in his cut to disbelief as he finds this is the guy he's looking for, but the man wants more money than expected to make him disappear. Just as Paul shows us so effectively Jesse in his element, he's great in showing when he's not, which becomes a fantastic act of near incompetence. I especially love his false bravado again when he attempts to call the man's bluff that he's called the cops, only for this to be immediately lost with a marvelous "aw crap" face when a police cruiser rolls up. This leaves him to return to the petty criminals to get the remainder of the cash he found. This leading to two of Paul's best moments. One being a call back of Jesse interacting with a bug, that is a beautifully rendered moment by Paul of just showing the oh so honest appreciation of the moment of anything other than torture. The confrontation with the men though is an outstanding scene for Paul as he basically presents himself as the seeming legend of Walter White, Heisenberg's partner. This in strutting in with a confidence of a man with literally nothing to lose in the moment, as it is either death or imprisonment for him either way. Paul's magnificent in carrying himself almost like a proper legend just for the moment as he kills the first man, with a trick worthy of his old partner, before killing the other one through a more chaotic shootout. Paul's great though for a moment revealing the more genuine desperation in Jesse in the brief second duel. He then though returns to the "legend" as he threatens the other witnesses to the duel, and grants such a proper sense of presence in a moment as Jesse owns a situation entirely for once. This allowing Jesse to finally escape to Alaska, ending the film with one small but essential moment for Jesse. This as he ends as he began driving from the past, though now towards an actual future, and this is so poignantly found in Paul's work. This as his expression of happiness is not that of the mania escape, but reflective of a man finally with contentment whiel looking forward to a second chance. Paul's work here isn't just a reminder of his great work on the show, rather it is proper revisit to that greatness and continuation of it through this sendoff worthy of the unforgettable character of Jesse Pinkman.