Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs (Jason cravenly says 2 out of 2)

1. Did I enjoy the movie? YES
I was taken back to a childhood joy.
There was something about this movie that reduced me to a child. Not in temperament, intelligence, or even physicality, but in wonderment. I was again watching Sesame Street and the Muppet Show. I was in joy. The same feelings of anything was possible because these puppets seemed more real that most of the people I met flowed from out of my heart.
2. Would I watch it again? YES
Of course.

The Hurt Locker (Jason explosively says 2 out of 2)

1. Did I enjoy it? YES
Not a morality play but a mortality play.
The movie is about people's reactions to two very simple questions. 1. Am I aware of my mortality? 2. Can I deal with that realization when I do realize my morality. Our three protagonists exemplify the varied ways people deal with the two questions. First is Eldridge. He is aware he could die any moment, as he directly tells his psychologist, but incapable of dealing with it. Plagued by doubt and fear he enters a deepening depression. Next is Sanborn. He's an interesting one. While aware of other's mortality he has not realized yet how close to death he is. Then when he does come close to death at the end of the movie, he is able to deal with this realization. Faced with finality of existence, he chooses family. Lastly is that cocky son of a bitch William James. William knows he could die at any moment and he has made peace with that.
2. Would I watch it again? YES
True catharsis only work if one engages them.
While I was dating my wife I had the hardest time dealing with how much time we spent together. I had to spend time away from Suzanne so I could remember why I love her. Movies were my respite. I'd watch some emotionally taunt movie and emerge into the daylight missing my wife. "Baby, baby...," I'd cry. The movie would act as a catharsis purging me. Truthfully these movies, like the English Patient, Summer of Sam, and the Hurt Locker, would literally wring me dry like some old time washing machine.
The Hurt Locker works for me on this cathartic level because of Sanborn. When he said he didn't want to be out there anymore. When he said I want a family. When he said I want a son. I resonated with that. I wanted to be with my family. I wanted to be with my son.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (Bob says 1 out of 2)

1. Did I enjoy it? YES
For awhile, the Harry Potter films became very episodic, introducing a few new characters that would be involved in a dilemma solved at the end by Harry and his two loyal friends. This one begins the same way but takes a new direction into some of the darkest adventures yet. We find out some huge revelations about characters we've followed from the beginning, and one of them meets his maker. Pretty intense stuff for kids, yet the film does have a PG rating. The special effects and overall look of these films are first rate, and the latest entry is no exception.

2. Would I watch it again? NO
As with the majority of these films, the movie does suffer from overlength. There are very few films that need to exceed the two hour time slot, but I suppose with six films already in the series, pushing portions of these films into the next one would probably mean twelve movies. Maybe in ten or twenty years, I'll revisit these films, but not in the near future. Did I mention I fell asleep during Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone? Gimme a break, it was long too.

The Girlfriend Experience (Bob says 2 out of 2)

1. Did I enjoy it? YES
Steven Soderbergh often enjoys making low budget, independent films along with his larger commercial releases. This is another one of his experiments, which I think works very well. Sasha Grey, who in real life is an established porn star, proves she can hold her own in mainstream films. She plays Christine, an expensive call girl who will take the part of her client's dream girlfriend, going out to dinner, listening to his small talk and problems and at the end of the evening, providing sex, if he wants. Christine is interviewed by a journalist, who's fascinated by her and also how she can juggle her line of work and maintain a real relationship with her boyfriend. Sasha is a knockout and it is no wonder she is a success in porn films. As this film makes clear though, I would never want to be in her boyfriend's shoes. When your girlfriend pretends to be someone else's girlfriend for a living, the experience can easily tempt her into seeking out a real relationship with her client, not to mention the fact that she sleeps with numerous men. This is a rare look into a profession that brings both excitement and heartache, false relationships and wrecked ones.

2. Would I watch it again? YES
This film is rather short for a feature, but captivated my attention from start to finish. A character study with both realism and insight.

Away We Go (Bob says 1 out of 2)

1. Did I enjoy it? YES
John Krasinski from The Office teams up with SNL alum Maya Rudolph as Burt and Verona in this independent dramedy. The couple is thinking of relocating after Burt's parents announce they are moving overseas. With a baby on the way, the couple travels across the country visiting friends, family and old co-workers trying to figure out what setting and group of people they'd like to live the closest to. The answer could be none of the above. I enjoyed this film and its independent feel. Plenty of strange characters along the way, some really funny parts and a very sad moment near the end when Burt realizes his niece is going to grow up without a mother.

2. Would I watch it again? NO
Unless asked by someone else who hadn't seen it yet, this is probably just a one-time rental for me. Krasinski is a great actor and I look forward to his future projects.

Tulpan (Bob says 2 out of 2)

1. Did I enjoy it? YES
I can't say I've ever watched a movie about a shepherd from Kazakhstan before. You'd think such a story wouldn't be very interesting. It is. Asa, a discharged sailor from the Russian navy, desperately wants to fulfill his dream of shepherding his own land, but his boss will not allow him to be a herdsman unless he has a wife and realistic dreams. Unfortunately, his only prospect in the desert climate is Tulpan, but she does not show interest. Asa lives with his sister's family, but is frustrated because the sheep on his brother-in-law's land are dying. Will Asa become a shepherd, or will he give up his dream and settle for a job with his friend in the city? I love films that transport me to different worlds and cultures and still draw me with its story and characters. This is one of those films.

2. Would I watch it again? YES
I might not be as captivated with multiple viewings for this one, but then again, the enchanting spell of the film might carry it through. A film not easy to forget.

District 9 (Bob says 2 out of 2)

1. Did I enjoy it? YES
Never have I seen a movie with aliens made quite like this before. Having a news-documentary feel for a good portion of the picture, the film documents aliens, who came to South Africa in 1982, being relocated from a government camp to another settlement. Wikus van der Merwe leads the relocation effort, but is one day sprayed in the face by a strange container found in one of the alien homes. He begins mutating into an alien himself and is suddenly running from his own government. One cannot help but think about minorities in the United States that have been sent to internment camps (Japanese in World War II) or relocated (Native Americans). This film will either be loved or hated by viewers, and I loved it.

2. Would I watch it again? YES
The best science fiction films, while entertaining, also have some captivating themes or messages behind them. This picture certianly does too, while retaining some good acting, great makeup and special effects and a compelling story.