INSIDE OUT Review – Hooked on a Feeling
The Fanboy SEO shares his Inside Out review and telling you right now to watch the movie because its one of the best films to come out this year.
Synopsis:
Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) is a happy, hockey-loving 11-year-old Midwestern girl, but her world turns upside-down when she and her parents move to San Francisco. Riley’s emotions — led by Joy (Amy Poehler) — try to guide her through this difficult, life-changing event. However, the stress of the move brings Sadness (Phyllis Smith) to the forefront. When Joy and Sadness are inadvertently swept into the far reaches of Riley’s mind, the only emotions left in Headquarters are Anger, Fear and Disgust.
Review:
Oh man did I underestimate this movie. It now holds the record for the shortest time before it made me tear up. The previous record holder was “Up” with the Carl and Ellie love story:
But with “Inside Out” I was already shedding tears as early as the short film ‘Lava’
… then the feels will hardly leave you.
So I must say that while “Inside Out” was designed to look cute, it was in fact, very, very deep. That’s one of the qualities that made it stand out and make people notice it. We have for example, Joy (Amy Poehlr), who just wants to make Riley happy at every possible turn not knowing that she could be damaging Riley more in the process. Then there’s Sadness (Phylis Smith) who is ignored and avoided because they think she has no place in this happy kid’s psyche only to realize that she plays a very integral role.
I LOVED the casting here; Pete Docter and company definitely picked out the right people for the right emotion. Poehlr, who just got off ‘Parks and Recreation’, is channel her character from that series and elevating it to a completely different level. Plus the bubbliness in her voice is just refreshing. Lewis Black’s Anger is another great casting and I was expecting it to be a flat angry character but you’ll see depth.
Sadness makes you want to curl up in a fetal position and cry (or in her case, lie down for a few hours or get dragged around by one leg). I was actually surprised at how powerful yet simple one important scene with Sadness was. Without spoiling, we see her sit down with a character and empathize with a character and that’s one of the first breaking point for most viewers.
Fear was the comic relief, and while he’s that, boy was Bill Hader good. Freaking out over clowns, brocolli and just about anything. Trust me, there really is a little voice in our heads telling us to not do things and that’s definitely Fear.
Disgust (Mindy Kaling) doesn’t have a big role (IMHO) but she does act as the defacto leader when Sadness and Joy disappear. Comedic and charming there were a few moments where Disgust could have really shined but that doesn’t happy. Phooey.
The visuals were stunning (see it in IMAX please) and the scoring by Michael Giachinno did wonders to really pulverize you with the feels. When it’s happy it goes full on happy tunes but what really did me in (and which is why I’m taking extra effort in writing about the film’s music and scoring) was a moment of darkness in the movie which really kicks you hard, when a key character is ummm…. ummm… oh god.
*sniff*
when a key character does something incredibly brave, stupid and sad.
That’s just the amount of drama on the Inside, what about the Outside? Even more drama.
From the fear and sadness of leaving your home for a new place (which was, as per the Inside Out presscon, from Ronnie Del Carmen’s experience) to the real-world hurt brought about by depression (which is a sickness of NOT HAVING EMOTIONS) and even how without proper control of your emotions you tend to do stupid things and destroy parts of your psyche in the process, Inside Out is pretty effing deep.
Thank god though because some of the profound stuff gets turned into kid stuff, like that part about abstract thought and how it gets presented in a very unique and very simple way. By the way if you’re having a hard time remember those four stages here you go:
Stage 1: Non-objective Fragmentation
Stage 2: Deconstruction
Stage 3: Two-Dimensional
Stage 4: Non-figurative
I also love all the small easter eggs that have been spotted by fans who have seen the movie in the US.
Overall, I have to say I LOVED Inside Out. I loved it, it merits a second screening with me and the fam and probably the nephews and nieces and if it were only possible I would start a picket outside the Academy Awards building as early as now for them to give Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen their Oscar trophies already for the ‘Best Animation’ category.
SCORE: 10/10
Inside Out opens August 19 from Walt Disney Studios Philippines and Columbia Pictures Philippines
