Skyfall (2012)

Shootout, car chase, fruit stand being destroyed in the first 10 minutes of the film? This could only be a Bond film. And a great one at that. Daniel Craig returns as Bond, James Bond in the newest in the series and does a superb job. Skyfall follows Bond on his journey of what I like to call redemption. It's hard to talk about this without giving away some spoilers, but it revolves around him trying to prove his role in MI6 when everyone starts to doubt him.

For a 2.5 hour movie, it certainly did not feel that long. The time just flew by. It seems as though there was both too much plot and not enough plot at the same time. There was so much to put into this film that it almost seems like the plot was not developed thoroughly enough. Accolades must be given to Javier Bardem who plays the villain. He was creepy, yet at times you almost pity him. But mostly, like in any Bond film, you just want him to die.

Daniel Craig as James Bond. Source: Telegraph UK

Cloud Atlas (2012)

As soon as I heard that this film was showing at TIFF, I knew for sure that this was one that I needed to see for myself. Walking out of the cinema, I was baffled beyond belief and not quite sure what to think of this film. An hour later, and I was sure that this is a film that everyone needs to experience for themselves. The official synopsis describes Cloud Atlas as "an epic story of humankind in which the actions and consequences of our lives impact one another throughout the past, present and future as one soul is shaped from a murderer into a savior and a single act of kindness ripples out for centuries to inspire a revolution."

Based on the book by David Mitchel, Cloud Atlas is a series of 6 ministories weaved together to tell the most magical story. Every story is connected to the next in the simplest of ways, but blink and you'll miss the connection. (Spoiler: the protagonists of each ministory share a peculiarly shaped birthmark) (Spoiler: That's not the only quirk). 

Tom Hanks (L) and Halle Berry (R) in "Sloosha's Crossin' an' Ev'rythin' After" Source: The Guardian