There are special people around the world, people with abilities: "watchers" who see the future, "movers" with telekinetic powers, "pushers" who control the minds of others, and more. There are also secret government agencies bent on controlling these people and their abilities. Division, a US agency, has been conducting secret experiments to enhance the abilities of the special; unfortunately no one has survived these experiments - until now!

But, Kira (Camilla Belle) manages to escape from the clutches of Division, along with a mysterious briefcase.

After running from Division his entire life, Nick (Chris Evans) is yanked out of hiding when a plucky young "watcher" hands him a lotus flower, and a mission. Cassie explains they must find a briefcase worth $6 million, or they will die. Now Cassie (Dakota Fanning) and Nick embark on an impossible journey in the heart of Hong Kong, as they search for a mysterious briefcase, outsmart Division, evade a fierce Asian Gang and protect Kira (Camilla Belle) the escaped "pusher."

Push may not be the best movie of the year, but it's certainly not the worst. This film is a fun action romp, perfect if you're in the mood for special effects and not in to mood to do any heavy thinking. Push really exceeded all expectations, considering even the trailers contained nothing but expository dialogue and complicated back-story. This movie begins with a flashback, Nick's father is killed, but not before warning Nick that a girl will give him a flower and they will embark on an important adventure. It was corny and cliché and it got worse! Next, we are introduced to a barrage of images as Dakota Fanning begins a tired and expository voice-over: "There are special people in this world; we didn't ask to be special..." The first fifteen minutes of this film are atrocious, but the story quickly progresses and manages to dig itself out of the deep trench. The actors are talented, the director is a visual genius, and the voice-over never returns.

Technically, this film was superb. Everything from lighting design to set design and locations were well thought out and expertly executed. Paul McGuigan, director, really put his visual stamp on this film, he and the production designer, Nicolas Trembasiewicz, worked together to create busy backgrounds and textures that McGuigan is known for. The special effects were tremendous, in your face, but authentic. Cinamatographer, Neil Davidge, shines. This film is about visuals and Davidge captures it perfectly.

Push, however, is not about writing. Writer David Bourla, really drops the ball. While the complicated story is told simply and the plot moves steadily forward, Bourla seems to forget that dialogue should be utilitarian and witty. However, the cast and director rise above the appalling dialogue, managing to infuse life into lackluster words. The cast, as a whole, was admirable. Chris Evens was especially shocking, in the best of ways. In prior roles he never stood out, or seemed capable of carrying a movie, but perhaps he has never been given a proper chance. His performance was real, grounded and nuanced. Dakota Fanning, was superb, as always. Without director McGuigan and a talented cast, Push may have become a flop, instead it's the perfect action film for special effects junkies.

VERDICT: Perfect film to catch when you want to be entertained without too much thinking. Plus there is plenty of eye candy for males and females alike.

Ivana Stojanovic

When it comes to Push, I was a little skeptical when first going into the film. It was a new action film playing on the superhero phenomena that has swept the nation over the past few years. Most films lumped into this genre are a real hit or miss, either they swim strongly or sink like a stone. Push seemed to be an exception. It started off a little slow and I wasn't sure what we were getting into, but it quickly picked up and became a good, entertaining film, filled with action, visual marvels and great acting.

As evident in his prior film, Lucky Number Slevin, Paul McGuigan is a visual master. Personally, cinematography is my passion, so I love to see a film that looks, well, sexy. And the cinematography in Push was definitely that. Not only did it look gorgeous, but provided story within the lighting and look itself. The style of shooting and style of lighting would change depending on how you were viewing that moment in time, whether you were actually there with Nick and Cassie or whether you were watching them in the future through the eyes of a Watcher. The sets and locations chosen for Push also added a lot of appeal, they were colourful, textured and provided McGuigan with what he needed to really experiment with the camera. The visual effects, though at times stunning could come off as a little cheesy at times, for example the physical manifestation of Nick's powers as sparks coming from his hands. However, considering how fantastic it looked overall, these small details are easy to overlook.

As I said earlier, the acting was great, but that's only to be expected when dealing with Dakota Fanning. She was cute and badass at the same time (though as a 23 year old male, I was a little disturbed at how short her skirt was sometimes). The dialogue at times seemed to be lacking, especially where spoken jokes or one-liners seemed to be just thrown in for the sake of throwing them in. However, the entire cast seemed to be able to work well with what they were given. The very beginning of the film gives a lot of back-story through a voice over by Cassie, I felt this was unnecessary and actually seemed to imply that the audience was too dumb to figure out what was going on for themselves. Not to mention starting things off with experiments done by Nazis...yes Nazis are bad, we don't need to be reminded of that in an everyday movie when it has nothing else to do with the rest of the plot. As I said earlier, the beginning was a little weak, but Push quickly redeemed itself and became an excellent start for action films of 2009.

VERDICT: Die-hard fans of Heroes may be slightly disappointed at similarities and differences, but overall action film fans and super hero fans will love it.

Mark Rauwerda

Paul Blart: Mall Cop had the potential to win the prize ribbon in family fun this month, but falls short. The disappointing film had a great premise, but failed to live up to any expectations commercials had set up. Essentially the film is an hour and a half fat joke, and yes, it does get old after the first 10 minutes. Paul Blart: Mall Cop fails to utilize any mall shenanigans. I expected to see toy robot attacks, fancy spy equipment games and department store hide and seek - like Home Alone on steroids; instead Paul defeats the thieves by falling on them (in case you forgot, he's heavy), falling over, and changing into a new outfit. The only redeeming comedy in the entire film came from the borrowed bejeweled cell-phone lent to Paul. The entire film pandered to audiences using cliché jokes, boring slapstick and an unimaginative plot.

It's clear Kevin James and Nick Bakay, the writers of the script, won't be winning any awards. But I, for one, would like to suggest they be sentenced to mandatory community service. They were able to write a few hilarious scenes, mostly involving a pink bejeweled mobile phone and Pahud, the ex boyfriend of the phone's owner. To be honest, I can't tell if Adir Kalyan's stellar performance saved those scenes or if James and Bakay cashed in on a moment of true inspiration. Adir Kalyan (Aliens in America) was the best thing about this film, his sense of comedic timing and casual delivery shone bright ? especially compared to the rest of the cast. Kevin James, Keir O'Donnell and Jayma Mays were adequate. Their performances were bland ? nothing horribly offensive or truly intriguing. The characters, like their performances, were clichéd, tired and lacked any semblance of flavour. However, I must wonder how much of that was their fault, Steve Carr may have led them down the wrong path. I wouldn't be surprised if he worked hard to rein in performances, cinematic style, set design - being careful to create a derivative movie. Paul Blart: Mall Cop is just as awful as his previous works including, Dr. Doolittle 2. Even the insanely cool stunts provided by the henchmen in the film were unable to save this film - I blame him for the film's lack of energy and comedy.

VERDICT: Skip it. There are better options...And be sure to watch the first season of Aliens in America with Adir Kaylan - it's much funnier.

Ivana Stojanovic

Paul Blart: Mall Cop is basically a family-friendly version of Die Hard. In my opinion, a remake of Die Hard is far from necessary, especially one that replaces John McClane with a bumbling security guard. It is however a family film, so I don't think it was really meant for the same demographic. With that said, I will try to continue to keep in mind that it is a family film and treat it as such. The biggest comparison I can make between Paul Blart and another family film would be something like Home Alone, in which case, Paul Blart falls short again. The film relied heavily on the same slap-stick style of comedy of Home Alone, but really did not utilize the mall environment as well as they should have. There were two, maybe three, contraptions that were used, none of which had a lot of thought behind them. The second comedic staple in Paul Blart was the fat jokes, which were either not very tastefully done, or fell flat and not funny. The third staple, and the saving grace of the film was the awkward comedy brought on by the in-mall hierarchy, of which the security guard is the bottom. Paul Blart (Kevin James), throughout the film, had to try to fit in with the retail crowd, which set the stage for one of the best scenes in the film, Paul Blart getting drunk at a staff party.

The characters of Paul Blart: Mall Cop, were pretty typical and predictable of a family comedy, but that's to be expected. However, even a family film should be able to produce good characters. Paul Blart himself was, at times, funny and entertaining, but other than that there was no real development to him, or any other character in the film. The chemistry between him and the female lead Amy (Jayma Mays) was basically the same as a light switch being turned on or off. One second she was into him, the next second it was gone, then sure enough it was back again. I could talk about the characters of the villains, but there really was no character to them. The leader of the gang wasn't much more than a body to tell others what to do, and as for the gang itself, it was pretty cheesey. You really can't take a couple punks on skateboards with guns or flipping over store merchandise that seriously. The best chemistry was that between father and daughter. She was cute, and had faith in her father throughout the film, giving it that feel good side that family films must have.

VERDICT: If you're looking for a good, funny family film, rent Home Alone. If you're looking for a action/cop film rent Die Hard.

Mark Rauwerda

What do most people expect when they think of a James Bond film? A lot of action and Bond Girls. The newest addition to the franchise, Quantum of Solace, offers just that, but sadly not much more. Daniel Craig makes a very different, but very compelling Bond. He's gritty, he's violent and he's pissed off.

Quantum of Solace follows a short amount of time after Casino Royale. James Bond is tracking down Vesper Lynd's killers and stumbles on a larger plot, involving an eco-friendly mastermind who's using his environmental agency as a front to take over the water supply of Bolivia.

The plot seems a little thin, but Bond movies have always been known for there "inventiveness". As a follow up, Quantum can hardly be compared to what Casino Royale brought to the franchise. However, it is still very much a James Bond film (albeit a much darker one). When it comes to relationships, Bond is not really known to have a solid footing with his Bond Girls (with the exception of Vesper). And Quantum was no different. The two Bond Girls Camille and Strawberry Fields were both beautiful (of course) and both very good on screen, but you could tell Bond was becoming the womanizer he's known to be. The true relationship in Quantum of Solace was that between Bond and M. And before you get too freaked out, it was a mother/son relationship with great chemistry. A mother trying to protect her son but still believing he is doing the right thing.

When it comes to action, Quantum of Solace has plenty, perhaps even too much. James Bond is angry with the death of his love and is out for blood. With car chases followed by foot chases, followed by boat chases and fistfights, followed by shoot outs, followed by explosions it is a violent film, even for James Bond. As evident in Casino Royale, Daniel Craig is the master of foot chases, which is true within Quantum as well. However, with that said, the close-quarters fights and chases were chaotic and confusing. There were moments when I wished I could rewind the celluloid just to figure out what Bond actually did. One second he would be driving head long toward multiple trucks, the camera would cut to Craig as he cranks the wheel one way or the other, then he'd be through the situation leaving the audience with no idea what happened. The camera work and choreography did not mesh well and made for a few perplexing scenes.

In the wake of one of the best James Bond films, Quantum of Solace was a let down. I hope it was just the hype of the film that amped my anticipation, but I fear it was just a poor sequel. As a James Bond film, it is about par with The World Is Not Enough: entertaining, but with no real redeeming value.

VERDICT: Go see it for a guy's night, but don't let your expectations get too high.

Mark Rauwerda

Nick is just a normal, high school musician. He's had his heart-broken by an ex-girlfriend and all he can think about is getting back with her. His friends tell him continuously that he's better off without her, but nothing changes until he meets Norah. Norah is his musical soul mate and the two quickly become close. They share a night of adventure, tracking down their favourite band and drunken friends in the big city, sharing a love for music, New York City and each other. It is a night they will never forget.

Michael Cera (Juno, Superbad) and Kat Dennings (Charlie Bartlett) star in this smart comedy about love, angst, heartbreak and music. Directed by New York local Peter Sollett.

Nick & Nora is a refreshing and heartwarming comedy, a perfect transitional film taking us away from the summer blockbuster and preparing us for fall's Oscar pic's. This film is poignant, funny, unassumingly intelligent and most importantly perfectly scored. It's impossible to walk out of this film unsatisfied and cynical, unless of course, you're the next intelligent comedy on the horizon. Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist may just be the best smart comedy to hit theatres this fall.

It may not strike the average moviegoer as a cinematic masterpiece, but N&N is impeccable as it worked hard to establish the film's true lead character: New York City. As Nick and Nora travelled from location to location, cinematographer Tom Richmond highlighted the city with beautiful crane shots, artful moving camera work and more. The lighting was fabulous as every character was clearly lit, and yet the story took place in predominately dark locals. And finally the score complimented the indy-centric flavour of this pic. After all, if you mention a playlist in the title of a film, you have to back it up with solid music.

An attractive score and the search for a musically perfect "everyband" is at the heart of this film, and yet perfectly absent as well. I was attracted to the musical score and worried that I would be disappointed in the end, but Where's Fluffy is never revealed which gives every viewer the opportunity to imagine their favorite indie band and favorite sound. In essence this film shows us what we need to see and leaves the rest to our imagination, it's in the plot, it's in the theme and it's perfectly adapted from Rachel Cohn and David Levithan's Novel for the screen by Lorene Scafaria. I was ecstatic that director Peter Sollett worked hard to highlight every character's story, including New York City. He was equally great at inspiring great performances from a talented cast of young actors, who worked together to create an impressive ensemble. I was most impressed, however, at his ability to create an ensemble cast without any stand out performers, neither good nor bad.

VERDICT: This is the perfect date film, buddy film, high school film, and music film?. Okay it's pretty much a perfect comedic film in general.

When it comes to smart comedies, there are a couple films that stand out in my mind, but none more than Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. From the locations and lighting, to the incredible soundtrack, to the witty banter between characters and the situations they end up in. When it comes to fun, intelligent and very relatable films, Nick & Norah stands out as my pick, not only for 2008, but for previous years as well.

Technically speaking, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist looked and sounded gorgeous. The combination of colourful lighting, with the multiple New York concert venue settings, provide an unparalleled backdrop, but I'll get into that more later. The camera work was something to be desired, from the establishing crane shots of the beautiful New York City, to a slow focus pull from Nick to a lipstick stain on his windshield. A shot, which will forever stand out in my mind as a pivotal shot in Nick & Norah. The soundtrack I leave for last, because it is what truly progressed the story. Nick and Norah's perfect musical compatibility provides a basis for great indie artists both in the background as well as at the focus of the story.

No band was the focus of the story more than Where's Fluffy. A fictional band that is, in essence, every person's favourite band. I was relieved (for those who do not want to know, this could be a spoiler), that by the end of the film, you still do not know what Where's Fluffy sounds like. Fluffy still stands in my head, as the greatest band in the world. When they don't show you what Fluffy sounds like, you do not feel slighted or angry, you feel satisfied with the unique turn of events within the story. There were so many little stories within Nick & Norah that I was almost a little scared that one or two would be lost. However, all of the stories from the hunt for Where's Fluffy, to the hunt for Norah's drunken friend, to the love triangles (yes, plural) surrounding Nick and Norah, interconnected seamlessly and concluded in the very fulfilling way. To end, I have one more item I'd like to mention, which is much too prominent to leave out. New York City. New York is as much a supporting character in this film as Nick's bandmates and Norah's drunken friend. The beauty of the big city is evident wherever they are, whether they're in a shady downtown club, driving through Times Square or boarding the NYC subway. Without a backdrop like New York, the film would not survive. There are so many little bits that make up Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist that it's a wonder everything came together so beautifully, but that is what makes this film so enjoyable to watch.

VERDICT: Perfect to get yourself back on your feet after heartbreak or just a bad day at work. Its smart, funny and will leave you with a smile on your face.

Ivana Stojanovic & Mark Rauwerda

Next Floor took the Cannes International Film Festival by storm this year winning the grand prize for short films. There is a lot of buzz around this film at TIFF 2008 as experts wonder if the dark comedy will be snubbed or if the gluttonous glamour of Next Floor will be embraced.

I decided to play this short, unknowingly, as I ate a quick dinner. Bad call! Never has a set of images and sounds been able to take away my very healthy appetite, until now. I sat enthralled, titillated and moved by this intelligent dark comedy. At the end of the film I felt changed, and completely turned off by food.

Technically this film almost achieved perfection. The lighting, shots and set design were intriguing and magical. The decedent spread, a character in this piece, looked appetizing one second, revolting the next and yet each shot and camera movement was fluid. The constant attention to detail was impressive, to say the least. As the film opened to show elegent and poised people eating a feast, but something was off?. Was that soot on that black suit? As soon as the gluttonous guests fell through the floor, it all became clear and the technical detail jumped off the screen. Unfortunately, the film contained less than impressive special effects. Each time I was aware of watching a 3-D model falling through an animated floor, a little magic dissipated from this unique film.

Denis Villeneuve sparkles as he is able to bring together creative and technical components to create a masterpiece. He truly shines as he brings to life an unlikely character, the spread of this banquet. From deer to rhinoceros the audience is given a treat, seeing both the ugly and the scrumptious side of this feast. Jacques Davidts shines, writing a masterpiece with very few words, needing no translation, and most importantly loaded with subtext. He trusts his actors and crew to step up and stand out, and every one of them do. Among the most notable performances Jean Marchand and a beautiful blond guest serve as character foils to one another, a simple devil-angel counter-balance.

Next Floor has garnered praise around the world, and it's no surprise considering the quality of writing, acting, directing and flawless cinematography.

VERDICT: Watch it on CBC, but stay away from the popcorn!

I had no idea what to expect from Next Floor. Going into the film, the only thing I was told is not to eat while watching it. This dark comedy first had me perplexed, but I was soon roaring with laughter at the simplicity of the story and the perfect expressions on character's faces. I'm not one to be usually turned off by food, and though some shots were repulsive, I was still hungry when I finished watching it.

The lighting and set design was beautiful. From the moment the film opened with a slow zoom in and out of the Maitre d' with the dramatic low light, I was hooked. Though the set was simply just a feast with live music playing in the corner, Denis Villeneuve took great care on everything, making the food look both appetizing and revolting at the same time. The single chandelier hanging over the banquet table provided both eloquence and comedic genius as it followed the banquet through the floor as they progressed further down. Most people when they think about films, they overlook the soundtrack. Without the enhanced noises of eleven guest gorging themselves on the grotesque feast, the film would be dead.

Next Floor was all about reactions and facial expressions. From the blonde who is initially repulsed by the other guest's spectacles, to the Maitre d' and servers as they wait in anticipation of when the floor will break again. Though I have no idea what Jacques Davidts was trying to portray through this story, except for possibly that gluttony will bring about the end of the world, it was still a funny and unique look at people who love food.

VERDICT: If you get an opportunity, definitely check it out, for those with a weak stomach, be sure to wait until later to eat.

Ivana Stojanovic & Mark Rauwerda

In the Kingdom of Malaria, the true celebrities are the evil scientists, continuously thinking up new inventions to unleash upon the rest of the world. Each scientist has his own Igor, a hunchbacked, servant whose only purpose is to serve his master. Until one Igor (John Cusack) starts to think and invent for himself, and is determined to win the annual Evil Science Fair.

He creates the greatest invention to ever hit Malaria; he creates life. In the form of a ten-foot mammoth of a woman, Eva (Molly Shannon) is kind-hearted and could never be an evil monster. With only days until the fair, Igor must find a way to create an Evil Eva so that he has a chance to win.

Igor is a clever film, perfect for October, but sent into theatres a little early this year. It's a gem perfect for youngsters excited about the coming holidays, but it's also filled with adult entertainment just high enough to fly over the heads of the little ones. Overall it's entertaining and lovely, but is not likely to win any awards.

The animation of this film is superb, perfectly coloured, perfectly crafted and just gloomy enough. The characters were both cute and monstrous. It seems that a lot of energy was spent crafting each character so that it would maintain a level of "ugliness" as well as beauty so that audiences were drawn into the story rather than repulsed from it. New to the scene director Anthony Leondis comes off as a seasoned pro, both technically but also wrangling an all-star cast.

And the stars certainly shine in this film. Standout among all is veteran actor Steve Buscemi who lights up the screen with his dialogue and animated image. Playing an immortal suicidal rabbit, Buscemi is perfectly sarcastic, unbelievably witty and surprisingly lovable. Obviously, headliner John Cusack plays a perfect Igor adding heart and warmth to this film. Jennifer Coolidge also gives a standout performance, as many characters in this adorable film. But in the end, the real star of this film is comedy master Chris McKenna who wrote Igor. He really created a new and magical world, perfect to spark the imagination of kids and adults everywhere.

VERDICT: Watch it in October, and get ready for a spooky Halloween!

Everyone is familiar with the phrases "Eet's Alive!" and "Pull Zee Svitch!" Dimension Films' new animated feature gives these lines new meaning as we take a look at the life of an evil scientist's assistant, Igor. A family film with a dark side, Igor is a throw back to monster movies of the past, with a bit of a twist.

The animation itself had the dark, gloomy aspects of a Burton film such as the Nightmare Before Christmas or The Corpse Bride, but still almost as light as a Disney film. There was no blood or gore, but still some very scary visuals. Some of the evil inventions would be frightening for younger children. However, Igor himself, though he tried to be evil, looked and acted very loveable. As were some of his own inventions, including his ?evil' machine Eva.

The storyline and characters of Igor were very similar. With morbid characters such as a Scamper (Steve Buscemi), an immortal rabbit with suicidal tendencies, alongside comedic characters like Brain, a brainless robot with an ironic name. Although it was all over the map in terms of whether it was a children's film or a film geared towards an older audience, Igor was highly entertaining and a lot of fun. The film may have been dark, but I think this provides an element that makes it more enjoyable for an older audience, while keeping aspects better for children.

VERDICT: Igor is for those who enjoy a Burton-esque animation with a lighter premise.

Ivana Stojanovic & Mark Rauwerda