WALL·E (2008)

Sort of feels like an extended short film, with the beautiful, meditative first act being followed up with an unexpectedly plot heavy next two that, while entertaining (see the reject bots), lose a bit of the film’s initial quiet poignancy. Still, the eco-future themes and imagery are striking, and the character and relationship development for WALL·E and EVE is present throughout, is remarkable given their lack of faces and dialogue, and rightly gets center stage back at the climactic re-boot.

6

The Guilt Trip (2012)

Scieoclean!! You won’t see its competitors drink their product unless they wanna shit blood on TV! Yeah, it’s a bad sign that Andy’s first successful sales pitch in the third act is the first real engaging bit in the film (the rest of the rote road trip fodder is pretty weak; Rogan and Streisand have good comedic chemistry but the drama often feels forced–see the sudden hotel blow-up), but it’s at least followed up with a uniquely poignant emotional climax with sister Joyce in San Francisco.

4