ParaNorman

Tali: I have to admit right off the bit that Leo initially had to talk me into seeing this movie. I am usually hesitant to see movies that I feel are geared toward kids (even though I wrote a [brilliant] paper on Finding Nemo once) because I am not usually sold on "this is for adults, too." With that being said ParaNorman is one of those movies I surprisingly found myself enjoying myself more and more and more. The plot is pretty straight forward - the kid in the centre (who looks like Ben Stiller) can talk to the dead, nobody believes him, adventures ensue. But what makes this film special (and appealing to adults as well) are the grand messages of right and wrong, doing unto others etc etc... as well as the brilliant one-liners of his family and friends (particularly the curly haired Neil). You should go see this!

Leo: This movie is one of those creepy movies that isn't actually too creepy because it's made with kids in mind and has so many points of comic relief. The characters are hilarious and all have great (and surprisingly very deep) personalities. The one-liners in this movie are funny and clever. The plot is very easy to follow and linear for kids and very engaging for everyone else. Though this is not a Tim Burton movie, it's hard not to see the similarities. They even worked on Coraline together, which shows that it's no coincidence. You should definitely see this and take anyone with you since it is a great movie regardless of your age.

The Bourne Legacy

Tali: The Bourne Legacy is the latest installment in the Bourne series, replacing Matt Damon with Jeremy Renner. The film picks up from the Bourne Ultimatum with various US Intelligence branches attempting to fix the mess created in the previous series. I am not super into action films, and I find that the Bourne series (particularly this one), holds a great balance between political drama and action thriller. What I actually liked best about this film is the emphasis on the political scheming and that this film places in comparison to the others. It definitely gets the audience closer to finally (??) figuring out the mystery that is Bourne, Treadstone, etc etc..

Leo: While I'm sure many of the hardcore Bourne fans did not like this movie as much as the other Bourne movies, make no mistake, this is a Bourne movie. It does not have as much heart racing action packed fighting and chase scenes but it almost makes the scenes in which there are tons of action and awesomely choreographed scenes that much more intense. I really like how we sort of have some realism behind the apparent "super soldier" aspect of Bourne and the new character. More specifically, I like how it finally makes sense to me why he's really that good at everything. Edward Norton is an amazing actor and is a great villain. He really just looks like the guy who would be running that operation. All in all the reviews do not do it justice, this movie is pretty fucking good.

A Beautiful Mind

Tali: A Beautiful Mind is the incredible real-life story of John Nash, a physicist and Nobel Laureate who struggles with Schizophrenia throughout most of his adult life. I have to admit - reading the Wikipedia entry before writing this entry has made me question some things about this film (in particular the discrepancies surrounding Nash's use of medications as a means of therapy), but I highly recommend that you do NOT read the entry and instead watch the film with an open mind (a beautiful one, even). The film is done very well, allowing the audience to both want the best for Nash, yet finding yourself increasingly concerned by his erratic behavior throughout the film. Slow to start but if you don't cry at the end you have no heart. Period.

Leo: I have to admit that I did not suspect the schizophrenia until it was a little more explicit --SPOILER-- though I actually did notice the girl staying the same age before it was mentioned --END SPOILER--. This made the movie an equal amount of a mind fuck as it was an excellent story. It was funny, sad, and it actually made you feel good at the end. I have been really interesting in Game Theory since I learned about it about 2 years before seeing this film, so to learn about John Nash's story was a real treat. Even though some things may have been exaggerated or misinformed, this movie was incredible and got the point across and no one can argue with that. I put this movie off for a while since I disliked Russel Crowe so much after Master and Commander, but that was clearly a mistake. This movie is incredible.

Moonrise Kingdom

Tali: Moonrise Kingdom is the latest by acclaimed filmmaker Wes Anderson. The movie follows two young teens as they run away together on a small island, and all of the mischief and chaos that surrounds him. I have fallen completely head-over-heels in love with this film; There is so much I can say about this film I don't even know where to begin. Wes Anderson's movies always have a very beautiful feel to them - every frame is like a photograph, all of the music is carefully and perfectly selected, and the depth of the characters adds to the aesthetic beauty of the film. That aside, the story is brilliantly executed, a perfect balance of hilarity and sadness, and an amazing message. Simply divine.

Leo: Moonrise Kingdom is one of those movies that feels like a children's film but simply is not. It takes all of the usual restrictions out of a children's film and replaces them with even more exciting perspectives. The way the movie was filmed basically summarizes all of the movies Wes Anderson has done. The zooming in and out to take the awkward scenes to a new level is typical of Wes Anderson. The story is feel-good and at the same time interesting and really fun to watch. One of the best movies I've seen in a long time. Please see it.

Dark City

Tali: Dark City is the sci-fi story of John Murdoch, as he tries to piece together the mysterious and fantastical events that lead to his memories being erased, and and the potential murdered he may have committed. There isn't a whole lot to say about this movie. I felt the entire time while watching that I was missing something. There are some attempts to make this a film-noir, but mostly this movie falls flat of baring any significance. It's weird as shit and definitely not worth the two hours.

Leo: In Dark City, John Murdoch struggles with memories of his past, with large key elements he cannot remember, in a dark world with no sun and run by creatures with telekinetic powers who seek to know what makes humans....human. The premise would be a little over done almost if it wasn't one of the first to use things like psychokinetic powers and altering a society’s mind. The storyline, in my opinion, was pretty solid because even though it has a very intense sci-fi feel it still remains grounded with the humanity expressed by the relationship between John Murdoch and his wife. The way the movie was done in terms of the information being revealed was impressive, especially considering the amount of unbelievable things that are revealed. Another interesting structural aspect to this movie was John's progression. Other than that, I tend to almost agree with Tali that it is kind of "flat" at some points, but towards the end it all comes together and there is no questioning that this movie is an incredible spectacle.