4 out of 5

A few weeks ago we took the kids to see WALL-E (2008,G) (ScreenIt! Review).  From Wikipedia:

Centuries after Earth has been abandoned, a lone trash collector robot longs for love and thinks he's found it when a sleek, feminine robot suddenly arrives on the planet.

Lisa especially liked the social commentary of the inhabitants of the starliner communicating with each other through computer screens even when they were actually physically right next to each other.  I was annoyed that the relationship between WALL-E and Eve had to be romantic, but we all enjoyed the film. 

I give it 4 out of 5.

Thursday night we watched The Painted Veil (2006,PG-13) (ScreenIt! Review), the first film we've watched together in a while (with the kids going to bed so late in the summer, we have to stay up late ourselves to fit in a film).  From ScreenIt!:

An adulterous, 1920s era wife must contend with being forced by her angry husband to accompany him to a remote Chinese village where he hopes to treat cholera victims.

Lisa's comment as the film ended:

Books based on novels always have a terrible ending.

By terrible, she meant “tragic”, not “of poor quality.” In fact, Lisa apparently enjoyed the film because I noticed it was added to her list of movie favorites (joining Juno, Hotel Rwanda, Running on Empty, The Graduate, and Stand By Me) on Facebook.  I give it 4 out of 5.

This Films is Not Yet Rated (2006,NR) was another film watched during a few days of bachelorhood.  The filmmaker examines the MPAA's rating system and its lack of transparency.  One of the more interesting aspects of the film is how he hires a private investigator to determine the identities of the ratings and appeals board members.  The MPAA is certainly providing a useful service with its rating system, but it also seems like there should be more transparency and that the ratings should be applied with more consistency.

I enjoyed this film.  I give it 4 out of 5.

Another film watched during a few recent days of bachelorhood was Black Snake Moan (2007,R) (ScreenIt! Review).  From ScreenIt!:

When a farmer finds a young white woman beaten and unconscious, he sets out to save her from herself, by chaining her to his radiator so she must stop seeking solace in sex with strangers.

I really didn't know what to expect from this one because all I had seen was a bizarre trailer in the theater one of the few times that I had been there in the last few years...but I was pleasantly surprised.  I enjoyed it.

I give it 4 out of 5.

Back at the end of May, Lisa and I watched Knocked Up (2007,R) (ScreenIt! Review).  From ScreenIt!:

A man and woman try to forge a relationship, despite their obvious differences, when she ends up pregnant after their one-night stand.

I was glad to finally see this one after hearing it cited so often in the same context as Juno (as a "I'm keeping my baby" kind of film).  Someone, I don't remember who, complained to me that he didn't like it because it was too crude.  I won't argue with that except to say that apparently I'm not particularly averse to crudeness.  I enjoyed it, though not as much as Juno.

I give it 4 out of 5.