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The Genius Club (2006)
a must see for all ages
I was fortunate enough to attend an advanced screening and was magnificently surprised. The Genius Club was beautifully made. The acting/voices were all wonderful, including the geniuses. I think all ages will be entertained. The story contains important lessons for young teens, but also relevant reminders for adults. I also think attempts to compare the film to Lord of the Rings and/or Harry Potter would be unfortunate for all parties. They are each uniquely wonderful. Make sure you see this! By the way, make sure you stay through the end credits to hear a beautiful song from David Ruis!
The bottom line is, this is a film that will leave you the better for having seen it. There's much to reflect on and much to simply enjoy - there's certainly enough to keep you thinking for a while, and that's always a good thing. GOD indeed, is on the move!
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
Heath is great
However, this film deserves to be discussed as a piece of work on its own. Like many of Terry Gilliam's films it is both complex and imaginative. The titular Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) operates a mostly unsuccessful travelling show where he hopes to send members of the public through a magic mirror into the Imaginarium where they will ultimately face a choice between giving their soul to Parnassus or the Devil (Tom Waits). Those two are having a contest for the soul of Valentina (Lily Cole), the Doctor's daughter. Helping the Doctor's show are the lovelorn Anton, the dwarf Percy and Tony a mysterious stranger who can draw punters.
Initially all these plot points work well. Doctor Parnassus is a desperate man who has almost given up hope, whilst the Devil is entertaining to watch, yet evidently devious. The heart of the film lies with Valentina who wants a normal life but is it unaware that it is far more complicated than just the raising of money. Unfortunately, the film runs into difficulty in the last third as the plot lines all come together and even more are added, creating a overly complex ending where nothing gets resolved properly.