Escape

I don't have a comfy air conditioned office to escape to these days, so when the heat wave struck this week I instead escaped to the movie theater. Apart from the negative cash flow aspect of such a plan, it's quite a nice way to spend one's weekday afternoon, dontcha think?

Wall-E
I could watch the character of WALL-E all day. He's just a trash compacting robot continuing to clear Earth of the mountains of trash that choked the planet and ultimately drove its remaining human inhabitants into space. But he's so darn cute. WALL-E is, alas, lonely, sharing his days and nights with an indestructible cockroach and a well organized collection of intriguing or useful objects. At the end of each workday he stows the day's findings in his trailer and dreams (with help from repeated viewings of Hello Dolly) of finding someone to love.

It's not surprising to us the viewers that just such a love interest arrives one day. EVE has come to scan Earth for signs of life, and her shiny, round sleekness entices WALL-E immediately. The majority of the film focuses on the classic romantic pursuit of WALL-E attempting to gain EVE's attention, affection, and hand. They travel far in space (apparently in a very short time, but I won't quibble) to dock with the cruise ship Axiom which houses Earth's human-evacuee descendants. Some hijinks ensue over control of the specimen EVE has brought back with her. There's also a rather unsubtle storyline about getting off one's bum and appreciating/working for what we have.

The ending could have turned bittersweet but instead is predictably hopeful. (As an aside, I'd love to see a darker ending released, as I think the final message could be more powerful, if less kiddie-friendly, but I know that ain't never gonna happen.) You can read and analyze all the detail you like about the storyline, but ultimately the charm of this film is firmly planted in liking and rooting for the character of WALL-E who--have I mentioned it?--is adorable. This latest Pixar offering is lovely from the get-go, and charming for all ages. Highly recommended.

The Visitor
There's nothing particularly remarkable or surprising about this quiet independent film, though I enjoyed it. The Visitor tells the story of college professor Walter Vale's gradual awakening from the fog of his adult life. Widowed and teaching courses by rote, Walter's bland existence is interrupted when he is forced into attending a conference in New York and finds two illegal immigrants in his long-unused apartment. He generously allows the harmless looking couple to stay until they can find a new place. The man, Tarek, is friendly to Walter, teaching him the joys of drumming, while Tarek's girlfriend Zainab is wary. When Tarek is detained by immigration and threatened with deportation, Walter becomes involved and along the way uncovers the passion he needs to move on with his life.

The Visitor is a nice movie, well acted and well paced. What is maybe nicest about it is that it gives veteran actor Richard Jenkins the chance to lead. The frustrations of impersonal immigration and detention policies probably won't surprise you, and the likelihood of finding innocent people living illegally in one's apartment are unreal, but these issues don't cloud the relating of Walter's overall journey. Recommended to fans of simple, independent movies.