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seanmjenkins
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The Last of Us: Long, Long Time (2023)
One of the most brilliant pieces of television I have seen in quite sometime
I don't think I have been as captivated as I was with this episode since season five of "Breaking Bad." This show is slowly becoming one of the most unique things I have seen in a while, and that is as someone who has played the game.
WARNING: SPOILERS
I think the difference of deciding to kill Bill off with Frank is a good choice. Yes, he was alive when Joel and Ellie got to him in the game, but the development of both his character and Frank's was incredible. From their first meet to their deaths backed by brilliant storytelling, this episode is a real tearjerker and one of the most well-written episodes that I have seen in recent memory. I'm so glad that this show is coming together nicely, and I highly recommend this.
The Pianist (2002)
One of those movies you never want to watch a second time
Movies can make you feel emotions. It could be happiness, anger, frustration, distress, or absolute heartbreak. Out of the three-hundred movies I have rated on this platform, there are only three that I could never watch again:
The Pianist
Schindler's List
Requiem for a Dream
"The Pianist" deserves a rightful spot in this list. Directed by Roman Polanski, this masterpiece of a movie focuses on the true story of Wladek Szpilman, a Polish Jew who plays piano for a living. Unfortunately, this is around the time when Nazi Germany occupied Poland, and set up concentration camps and ghettos for the mass liquidation of anyone that didn't meet the requirements of Germany's perfect and idealistic Aryan race.
In this behemoth of a film, Polanski shows determination and skill as a moviemaker and captures the true horrors of the SS; how they ruthlessly murdered six million Jews during World War II. This is the story of Szpilman being saved from liquidation and living a life on the run from the Nazis merciless regime.
As one pointed out, cinematographer Pawel Edelman makes great use of his skill by slowly draining the color out of each individual scene that occurs in the film, perhaps symbolizing the decline of Szpilman's physicality and mental health. Often though, there are streaks of color throughout the movie, such as Szpilman's magnificent renditions of piano pieces, most prominently being the works of fellow Pole Frédéric Chopin. It is here where Chopin (my favorite composer) shines bright in a world of turmoil and death.
Adrien Brody does an incredible job as Szpilman, and he rightfully won the Academy Award for Best Actor at the age of 29, being the youngest one to do so. His determination is effectively shown to encapsulate the true story of Szpilman, a story full of sorrow, heartbreak, and rejoicing.
This isn't just a film. It's a memoir, a piece of artwork in the fact that it doesn't hold anything back from the truth of what occurred some seventy-five years ago. This is a film I couldn't watch again without being distraught by its content, however, I consider it to be one of the greatest films of all time, and something that should be respected and honored.
Black Swan (2010)
A True Cinematic Masterpiece
When I first viewed the movie, "Black Swan," I didn't know what to expect. After the applause ended as the screen fades to blank, I sat there in complete silence and awe at what I had just experienced. How could a movie be so perfect? For one, the plot was compelling, as the story follows Nina Sayers enduring immense pressure and stress as she is picked to become the new Swan Queen in an adaptation of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake." She slowly loses her sanity as she is introduced to Lily, a compelling embodiment of the Black Swan in her eyes. Nina starts to lose control and cannot determine what is fiction or reality in the end. The pacing was excellent, with enough tone, sensuality, anger, solemness, and awe to create a masterpiece of a film.
Another riveting part of the film is the acting. Actress Natalie Portman gives it her all, and the training she endured was worth it in the end. She deserved every right to the Oscar Award for the Best Actress on account of her marvelous performance. She perfectly portrays Nina in all of the character's glory, and I admire her for that. Mila Kunis plays Lily, and fascinates me as a well-rounded and believable character who opposes the pureness and grace of Portman's character. Vincent Cassel portrays Thomás, the ballet instructor who puts on a show shaping Nina to who she becomes in the end, allowing her to reveal her dark side.
Finally, the ending is what will stick with me for years to come. With a once seemingly innocent young girl trying to be recognized for the talent she is, Nina hallucinates herself as an embodiment of the Black Swan. She loses control and emits a "perfect" portrayal of the Black Swan's imperfections and personality. She seemingly kills Lily as she stabs her with a shard of broken mirror after she hallucinates herself trying to choke her in order to win the role, but after portraying the ferocious and malevolent Black Swan, she comes to the realization that she stabbed herself. This is all while Tchaikovsky's magnificent score erupts in the background, which made every single hair rise on my body. As she performs one final time as the White Swan, she ends the show with a momentous leap and the audience erupts in applause. She bleeds out as Thomás asks what happened. Nina responds with the declaration that "it was perfect," as she had successfully portrayed the roles of the White Swan and the Black Swan with perfection.
Never has a movie made me sit in amazement for so long, pondering what had occurred during the 108 minutes of runtime. I sat there completely breathless with tears in my eyes, knowing that there would not be another movie like "Black Swan" for a long time. I highly recommend that everyone should view it once, and hopefully you will appreciate the film for its symbolism and beauty. It is unlike any other. It is... one of a kind.
BioShock Infinite (2013)
My All-Time Favorite Game
I have played video games ever since I was a young boy. I started with the classics such as Nintendo and PSP. In 2015, I moved to Xbox One and played games such as Halo.
In 2018, I bought the Bioshock Collection since it was discounted at Best Buy, and I never looked back.
Here's how I'm going to review this game. I'm using an acronym I made up called CLOSE.
C = Characters and Combat
L = Length of the Game
O = Objects (Health, money, weapons, etc)
S = Setting and Story
E = Ending
For Characters and Combat, this game does not disappoint. Unlike previous Bioshocks, this game has more of a smooth flow to it when fighting enemies. The weapons and different attack options that one can use are unique and along with the eight types of vigors used, every individual's gameplay is unique to them. I like the implementation of the skyhook and skyline mechanism which allows you to fight while airborne. For characters, the bond and the relationship between Booker DeWitt and Elizabeth is a very unique one. Originally, Booker is a stubborn man who believes if he "brings the girl and wipes away the debt" then he will be fine and dandy. He then develops a soft spot for Elizabeth and realizes what she is during the process. Elizabeth is a charming femme fatale and almost reminds me of Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Her power of opening tears to other dimensions is very interesting and makes for a good story. She is trying to flee from her religious "father" Zachary Comstock, who can't have a biological daughter of his own, thus resorts to keeping her locked up with Songbird as a guardian. At first, us audience sees Songbird as evil and malevolent, however, he turns good and cares for Elizabeth in the end. It brought a tear to my eye when he died in the end from the water pressure. Overall, spectacular.
For the Length of the Game, Infinite is certainly much more longer than most Bioshock games. It took me twelve hours to complete the main campaign and I enjoyed every second of it. It didn't feel drawn out and every element I felt had a meaning to the overall story.
For the Objects, the vending machines make their way back to this game and scavenging for money and health while in combat makes this game a lot more fun. As I said, I loved the skyline combat, as well as the weapons and vigors. All weapons seem so fluid and the collectibles within the game provide extra fun when the campaign is said and done.
For the story and setting, it is the best I have ever seen. A culmination of the Bioshock story, I think director Ken Levine made an incredible story with lots of twists and turns along the way. The infinite time universes is such a good concept, that it felt like Rick and Morty to me almost. It felt supernatural. The music and score provides that element of one being amazed by what is taking place. The settings of Columbia felt like a painting and I enjoyed the amount of attention to detail that the art and animation team put into this game.
Finally, this brings me to the ending. Oh my gosh, this ending was marvelous and was so brilliantly done. When I found out with more clues unraveling the mystery of Elizabeth being Booker's daughter he gave away to Comstock, it took me for a spin and I really enjoyed at the end where in some universes, Booker became Comstock since he accepted the baptism and in some he didn't. All Elizabeth's from different universes drown him at the end and as he dies, they fade into existence as the screen cuts to black. I cannot believe how beautiful the story was and how well the character development influenced the mood of the ending. My mouth was open in awe as the final piano note plays and then... it's over... the campaign was over... I was sad because I wanted to keep playing, however, the DLCs and the extra stuff the game gave you at the end made it worthwhile to keep playing and having fun.
In summary, I don't usually review many things, but Bioshock: Infinite I had to review. It is an amazing game and an incredible story; almost like a movie to me. All I can say is, thank you Infinite Team. Thank you Irrational Games. Thank you everyone else. I will never forget this experience. Ken Levine you brilliant son of a gun, you did it. I hope you're doing well and I respect the decision to move forward in your life and to work on future projects. I hope your health and family are doing well. Thank you for everything you did for the Bioshock Universe 💙