WALL-E

WALL-E (2008) - August 17, 2008 (Third Viewing)
After watching this for the third time, I think I can say without hesitation that this is one of my favourite films of the decade. It's right up there with There Will Be Blood, the last really great film of recent memory -- in fact, I think it might even surpass it. I say that because I feel like WALL-E is ridiculously close to being a perfect film; there isn't a single wasted moment to be found. This is the type of movie that a lot of directors probably want to make, but don't have the talent or the balls to do so -- a movie which tells its story primarily through visuals rather than dialogue (something which is, paradoxically, especially rare in contemporary animation, despite the fact that this type of storytelling is ideally suited to the medium), and which introduces characters who are essentially mute and expects us to care about them. This is where WALL-E really shines -- WALL-E himself is such a great character, who exudes charm and personality without ever uttering a word. He will surely enter the pantheon of great movie characters, or at least he should if there's any justice in the world. His romance with Eve is one of the most effective and affecting movie romances I've seen in a long, long time. This is a perfect film, or close to it, because it elicits pretty much every emotion you could ask for from a movie: it's funny, exciting, sad, moving and exhilarating. It's filmmaking distilled to its very essence, and delivered in the most satisfying way imaginable. It's perfect. ****