Pretty in Pink

Tali: Pretty in Pink, one of John Hughes's films, tells the story of Andie, a girl from a lower-class background who falls for and starts a relationship with a wealthy classmate named Blaine (blech). This film has John Waters written all over it - and it's delightful. Every word in the script and every rhinestone and knick knack on Molly Ringwald's outfit is carefully calculated and exhibits the feeling of youth culture at the time to a T. Plus, this film gave me a glimpse of John Cryer that I was totally not expecting (and was totally great). The one thing that I did not like was the ending, which I was not expecting, and not how I wanted the movie to end. 83/100.

Leo: This movie was nice break from the more serious movies we've been watching. It was funny and the script was incredibly well-done. The only problem I have was with the storyline which was simply anti-climactic. You could only feel bad for John Cryer's character because Andie (Molly Ringwald) ends up going back to the uninteresting classmate named Blaine and there's little-to-no closure for John Cryer. The highlight of the movie was seeing a very young James Spader who has grown up to be quite a terrifying but likeable villain in The Blacklist.

The Godfather Part II

Tali: The Godfather II picks up several years after the first one - Michael is now the Don of the Corleone family and is wildly successful at controlling casinos in Nevada and elsewhere. This film has all of the same bloodlust, rivalries and thirst for power that the first one has, only for some reason I found it to be more interesting and worthwhile. Perhaps it is also the splicing with the origin story of Michael's father, Vito (played by an almost unrecognizable Robert De Niro) which gave the story some depth for me. Don't get me wrong, this was a good movie and I liked it more than the first one.. but I still don't get it. This movie is ranked #32 on AFI's best films of all time (the first one is #3) but I am just not getting it. Perhaps my attention cannot be held for 3+ hours. Who knows. 77/100.

Leo: It's hard to top, or even come close to the critical success of a movie that's rated 1-3 on most top all-time movies, but this one usually manages to grab a seat right behind it. I personally enjoy this movie a bit more because it adds a bit more politics (she says abortion, bro) and depth to the story, even if I think the first movie is slightly more well-done. Robert DeNiro and the old Italian-American storyline is definitely my favorite part of the movie and it makes you appreciate the first one much more. There's too much to say about this 3 hour movie to go into too much detail, but the nuanced story-telling, pacing, and script only add to the incredible storyline and atmosphere put into play from Coppola's directing. Again, I hope this number doesn't insult the family. Leometer: 95/100.

Good Night, and Good Luck

Tali: Good Night, and Good Luck follows the true events surrounding Edward Murrow, who in the 1950's, became the first journalist to publicly stand up to the McCarthyism of the day (despite corporate and sponsorship pressure to do otherwise). I have always had a soft spot for stories wherein reporters uncover the great and sometimes uncomfortable truth about our governments (or corporations, etc) and Murrow is the OG in this regard. His words are incredibly powerful (and they are true to real life) and so effective in create change and disrupting the status quo. Though the film keeps up a slow and steady pace, they do eventually win the race by bringing us directly into this story, so much so that once the curtain falls, we do not want to leave. 88/100.

Leo: This film had lots of great elements which aided it in being a very worthwhile film. George Clooney has this very particular style with directing in that he chooses incredible stories to tell and tampers very little. Sometimes that's not good enough, which was a common criticism of his latest film, Monuments Men. This time, however; it was good enough. This story has a clear message and sells it quite well with aid from the words of Edward Murrow which are put together by Murrow himself extremely well and presented equally well by David Strathairn. I'll admit, the supporting cast would not add much if I wasn't such a big fan of Robert Downey Jr. or recognize the occasional "news worker #2" in the cast from more recent TV shows but all in all, this movie is definitely worth seeing, especially if you are into journalism and like hate governments and stuff. Leometer: 85/100.

How to Train Your Dragon 2

Tali: HTTYD2 picks up 5 years where the last one left off-the viking village of Berk is now a thriving, dragon-filled community, only now they face the threat of someone wanting to take Berk's dragons to fight in some mysterious super-army. Both films had a lot of the same elements, which made them both enjoyable: fantastic one-liners, Toothless's personality (like a large, fire-breathing puppy) and just enough magic that it didn't seemed forced. However, this film was missing something-I can't place my finger on it-that made it not as special as the first. One cool thing in this film is the introduction of a character we have heard of before (I'm not gonna spoil it for you), though initially I thought they were cool and interesting, eventually the character totally fell flat. Though, apparently someone else also felt this way. 85/100.

Leo: This series, as many do, has an awesome original film but sequels are usually a little harder to keep the magic from the first. This is an exception. HTTYD2 keeps the same magical animated chemistry between Hiccup and Toothless that made the original movie one of my all-time favourites (if not my all-time favourite) - just look at his face in this clip. It was awesome to see two friends growing up together, taking similar steps together, and in the end growing into the potential their loved ones always thought, or at least hoped, they had. I don't know what the big deal about Valka (his long-lost mother) was for all those confused; she decided to stay away for clear reasons then decided to return because those reasons were gone and actually made into a positive aspect of Berk. I don't find it that crazy that Hiccup and Toothless overtake her in terms of power and awesomeness but I can see why some people do. The one thing the movie did not cover is why Drago did not attack Valka's home earlier, but in the end, it doesn't really matter and it could have been a number of reasons. I mean, all of these little things do nothing to top the hearstring-pulling tear jerking scenes that happen. Let's just say I'm happy that the 3-D glasses are tinted :). The SCORE. HTTYD probably has the best score in recent memory and I could play it on repeat for my entire life and not get bored, in fact I'm pretty sure I would be happy for my entire life. John Powell should do more stuff. If I were to give HTTYD 1 a Leometer it would probably be 99/100. This one is not as good but that has more to do with the original being impossible to top and the magic is still there. Look at this and this and this. I dare you to not enjoy this movie (and if you don't, you have no soul). Go see it. Leometer: 91/100.

The Normal Heart

Tali: The Normal Heart is based off of the recently revised Broadway play, about the growing HIV/AIDS crisis in 1980's New York. It's hard to say that movie was "good." Though incredibly sad and deeply moving, Mark Ruffalo's anger, persistence and passion keep this movie going and take it past any ill-faired cliche's it may have been set up for. Though slow to start, once you get into it, you get in deep. This story is extremely important, and must be told carefully, and it works. It's a painful reminder of the homophobic past/unconsciousness, the pharmaceutical industry and the power of community and love. Also, who know Jim Parsons could be so good when he is not being Sheldon? 88/100.

Leo: This is probably the saddest movie I've seen in a long time (if not ever). The quality of the movie is unquestionably high, though (as Tali said) it's hard to say the movie was "good". The acting, Mark Bomer (of White Collar) was the best of them all. I can't believe he's doing a damn Bravo TV series when he's capable of this type of acting. The only parts of the story I thought were a little fuzzy and not explained well was what the other characters (besides Mark Ruffalo) were doing. It seemed as if they were sitting on their asses doing nothing but I'm not sure if that's actually true. Either way, it was a small nitpick in an otherwise very well-done movie. Leometer: 84/100.