Skyfall

Tali: Skyfall is the latest installment of the James Bond series. In this film, we finally see some layers shed off of 007 (in more ways than one - hello!) and learn more about his upbringing and how it plagues him to this day. Some have said to me that they don't understand why I would like a film with so much macho attitude, fight scenes, the villainization of other cultures, the exploitation and usage of female bodies/sex, etc etc (even as I write this I can hear Leo going "YEAH THAT SOUNDS GREAT!"). But sometimes you need a little escapism; you want the good guy to go after and defeat the bad guy and get the girl, etc etc. What sets Skyfall apart, and what makes it memorable and worthwhile, is that you don't always know if you're going to get that predicted ending (which makes things exciting). PS - I don't care what anyone says, Javier Bardem does not play a convincing blonde.

Leo: Skyfall is an absolute masterpiece. To summarize my opinion in a sentence, this movie has everything all Bond movies have, and everything (almost) all Bond movies are missing. This movie has an incredible score and incredible acting (Javier Bardem is honestly up there with Heath Ledger). What I really like about these new installments of James Bond is that they really show his weaknesses. It is unfortunate that I think many people would confuse Bond's character weaknesses as movie weaknesses (such as his view of women and his general pretentiousness regarding himself and country). I see these weaknesses as intentional character development and I think they add a lot to the movie and make it more believable and real. The action scenes drown out most of the negative nancys who can't see past Bond surviving a 20 meter fall into water and the story pushes it even further. The ending makes you happy that Bond is not done.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Tali: The Hobbit, the prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, is an epic film depicting just how Bilbo got that famous ring, and what sort of adventures he went on before going into pseudo-retirement. The film has all of the usual elements that fans of LOTR could expect: long, scenic shots of the country side, battle scenes, humorous dwarves and of course, my precious. This by no means indicate that this film was predictable or boring, rather, it was exciting because it played to its previous strengths. My only complaint was that there was NO WAY that this film needed to be three hours long. I understand and appreciate Peter Jackson's vision (as a fan of the earlier series), but there were TOO MANY scenes that did not make the necessary cuts in the editing room. Bring an ass cushion.. or a snuggie.

Leo: For the record, the Lord of the Rings story was made after the Hobbit which was written in 1937. The Hobbit is obviously a more up-beat movie than LOTR, but it looks as if  Peter Jackson is making the much-needed bridge between The Hobbit in terms of plot (even within the first movie, you can tell the added scenes). I understand the view that it could have been shorter; that's fairly obvious with any LOTR movie including this one. However, I did not want it to be shorter. I am sure I'm not alone when I say that I enjoyed every minute of that movie, even the "long" traveling scenes to Howard Shore's iconic and brilliant score for the film. I could have watched this movie and the next 3 lord of the rings movies in a row with food and bathroom breaks. Hopefully he can keep this up for two more movies. I just want more LOTR.

The Hunger Games

Tali: The Hunger Games, based off of the teen/young adult novel of the same time, is one of the most surprising films of the year, in that I was extremely hesitant to see this film for the longest time, and eventually broke down and downloaded it (oops!). Set in the not-too-distant future, we look at the world that has been divided into districts and class slaves to the Capital. As punishment for past wrong-doings, citizens of the Capital send Tributes to participate in the yearly Hunger Games, as a huge slap in the face to their loss at a previous uprising (/revolution). One thing that struck me right away was how this film, is supposedly geared toward teens/young adult women. The film is entirely political and asks a lot of questions that perhaps, lots of young folk entering the world may ask of their society. Although the beginning was slow, I have completely fallen for the hype, the mysticism and legend that is the Hunger Games. PS - don't "accidentally" read the Wikipedia summaries of the next two books like I did (you will regret it instantly - and be impeccably excited for the next cinematic installment).

Leo: If anyone asks what The Hunger Games is like, I can simply say a dystopian version of Lord of the Flies. I sort of see how this movie could be geared for teens, but I thought the relationships were a little complicated for people who are not as cultured as maybe adults would be. I do see how it is geared for women, but whatever, shit. I thought this movie was really well-done and was actually very entertaining. I can't tell if I was more disturbed or intrigued by the concept of "The Hunger Games" (as in, the actual game in the movie, not the movie itself) to the point where I understand why people would hypothetically enjoy watching these people kill each other in a game sort of way but feel instantly disturbed for that thought. Maybe if the kids could respawn somehow like in a real video game.....Anyway, see this movie even if you aren't a woman because Jennifer Lawrence is pretty and the movie is really interesting.

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

Tali: The Life Aquatic is the story of Steve Zissou (Bill Murray), who takes a journey through the seas to attempt to find a jaguar shark, a create that no one else has seen, which he claims ate his oldest friend and colleague. As a huge fan of Wes Anderson's movies, I can literally go on and on and on about Life Aquatic forever - the gorgeous scenery, how every shot looks like a photograph, the brilliant use of each brilliant actor, the music (the soundtrack I am literally obsessed with), the complicated yet simple stories. JUST STUPENDOUS. If you missed this when it came out, what are you waiting for?! Go download rent it!

Leo: Even if I did not know who was directing this movie before I watched it, it would have hit me almost immediately. Wes Anderson's style of movie is so easy to love and enjoy, no matter what the topic. The acting is spot on, and the story is just as obscure and serious-funny as you would expect from Wes Anderson. And no, serious-funny is not an oxymoron if you've ever seen Wes Anderson films. Tali has not stopped listening to the Portuguese  acoustic David Bowie covers, and I have no complaints about that. This is not his best movie, but it is definitely up there with the best ones. Yea, you should sea (LOL) this movie.

Cloud Atlas

Tali: Cloud Atlas is the incredible story of, well, several stories, featuring the same actors as strands of the same character jumping through and  transcending time and space. Trust me, it is way less complicated then it sounds. Without going into too much detail, I will tell you all you need to know. Most importantly, keep an open mind. Critics of the film suggest that the interconnectedness of the story lines to be too convoluted and pompous, that the film is too big for itself. I could not disagree more! I felt each story alluring and engaging and felt that the balance between all of them was well done. I feel that this movie deserves an Oscar or two (Halle Berry plays a very convincing Asian man) but it might get shafted.

Leo: Cloud Atlas was exactly what I hoped it would be, and shares the same philosophical message as one of my favorite book series of all time (The Hyperion Cantos). The cast and acting of this movie was incredible and played so many believable characters even though they were essentially the same characters, which sounds more complicated than it is. While this movie is not exactly the "perfect" masterpiece, it is easy to tell it is not far off. It has every dimension of enjoyment throughout multiple dimensions of time and that is no easy task. The movie's score is also worth noting. I do not understand the negative criticism of the movie, specifically the one's that complain about it being too complicated. It isn't. If one does not understand the movie in at least the basic sense, then reviewing movies is a terrible career choice. That, or stick to reviewing something like The Breakup. Or something equally simple and idiotic.

Looper

Tali: Looper is a science-fiction action film staring a rubbery looking Joseph Gordon Levitt and Bruce Willis. Taking place in the not too distant future, time travel is controlled by gangsters and telekinesis is possible. JGL, an assassin, spends most of the moving chasing his future self, who he is assigned to kill. Both impeccably thrilling and utterly mind blowing (literally), Looper has all of the elements of a movie in this genre. Yet, the film takes it to another level (due to the time travel), and the usual hero decides what is right or wrong motif is taken to the next level. And it works. This movie gave me another reason to not have kids.

Leo: I don't get what the problem is with Joseph Gordon Levitt and Bruce Willis playing the same character. The only time I actually found it weird was the moment when they actually switched, and Bruce Willis looked ridiculous with that fake hair. The movie itself was incredibly layered and is, in my opinion, the perfect way to make an action movie. It can't just be all blowing up, guns, and hand-to-hand combat. There needs to be a reason for it, and development around it. That is why I feel this movie hits the mark. At the middle-end when Bruce Willis kills all of the people running the looper business, that is basically all of the action I really wanted out of the movie. Emily Blunt plays outside of her usual role, which is odd at first, but after the first scenes I stopped noticing. All in all, this movie is a perfect mix of engaging and entertaining. See this, or your loop will end.

Argo

Tali: Argo is a thriller.. or is it political drama? Spy story? Either way, Argo is a GREAT film directed by and starring Ben Affleck. He stars as Tony Mendez, a CIA man who plans the elaborate and sometimes unimaginable stunt to bring 6 stranded US diplomats home from being stranded in Iran during the 1979 hostage crisis. Based on a true story (one in which everyone knows the ending already), this film kept the audience captivated and literally salivating for more - even down to the nail-biting final scene at the airport. This film deserves the Oscar buzz surrounding it!
My only qualm - did a white actor have to play the role of a Mexican character in order to make the hero more appealing for mainstream America? Discuss

Leo: If you haven't seen argue yet, "Argo fuck yourself". This movie is one of the many must-see movies this year. While the acting is not oscar-worthy, it is believable and fits with the movie very well. The most impressive aspect of this movie, in my opinion, is that I still feel suspense even though I know how the story ends. The way it is told is most appealing and makes you care about all of the characters.  To further discuss Tali's point, I do not have a problem with Affleck playing Tony Mendez (mexican) because I just think he wanted to star as Tony Mendez rather than specifically because he's white. Alan Arkin is absolutely hilarious and deserves the Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actor (even though his competition is too much).