INSIDE OUT
* * * * *
Odeon Screen Unseen // 2015 // In U.K. cinemas July 24th 2015
"After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness - conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school."
(ALL IMAGES SOURCED FROM www.imdb.com)
Given Pixar's track record with films, it's virtually impossible not to be excited about their latest offering, and when coupled with the stellar reviews already online thanks to its premiere at Cannes last month and recent opening in the States, Inside Out immediately shot straight to the top of my must-watch list for the summer. I've had July 24th in my calendar for ages, but Odeon pulled it out of the bag (again) this week by showing Inside Out as their "Screen Unseen" film - a preview of a 5* movie almost a month before it's released in U.K. cinemas. The cryptic clues definitely didn't hint at the animated tale at all so it was a lovely surprise on Monday. Previous films have been Nightcrawler, Whiplash, Selma and It Follows (I didn't stay for this as I hate horror films). I can't recommend the event enough, so when Odeon announces the next screening you should book tickets! It's always a risk as you don't know what you're seeing going in, but taking into account the sorts of films they've shown before I definitely think it's worth the £5 ticket.
Inside Out was everything I hoped it would be and more. After eleven year-old Riley's parents decide to uproot the family from Minnesota to San Francisco her five emotions - Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Anger (Lewis Black) - are faced with the challenge of navigating her though the challenges this move presents. Operating from a command centre in Riley's head, her emotions are tasked with regulating her mood and storing her millions of memories (seen as colour coded glass orbs). Five "core memories" power Riley's Islands of Personality - the defining traits of her character, ranging from Honesty to Goofball - and during a scuffle in HQ these highly important memories are lost. Joy sets off, Sadness in tow, on a mission to rescue them, leaving behind the three other emotions to guide Riley through her new school, new house and making new friends. Without Joy at the helm to keep Riley upbeat chaos ensues, and as the internal journey to save the core memories unfolds, Riley's new life in San Francisco begins to fall apart at the seams.
In true Pixar form it's bursting with energy and an utter visual delight, but rather wonderfully it also boasts a fiercely intelligent and thought-provoking script that brilliantly accompanies the expert animation and seemingly innocent plot. Don't be fooled by the bright colours and Bing Bong the jolly cat/elephant/dolphin former imaginary friend made of cotton candy - I'd argue this isn't a story primarily for children at all but instead one to be admired and appreciated by adults of all ages. There's so much that'll go straight over childrens' heads and it'd be a real disservice to the filmmakers if all of the subtle and intricate details that make Inside Out so special were missed because it's been dismissed as a standard children's film. The level of detail is just staggering. Without giving too much away, moments such as the characters riding an actual Train of Thought; a journey through four stages of abstract thinking (in a genius display of animation); throw-away jokes about facts and opinions looking identical; a movie studio in Dreamland complete with an ultra-famous diva Miss Rainbow Unicorn; and the hilarious running gag of annoying advert jingles popping into your head for no reason, all make Inside Out one of the cleverest Pixar films of all time. Children will love the possibility of brightly coloured emotions running their brains in "headquarters" but it's all the tiny, genius details that will bring an enormous smile to every adult's face.
Narrowing down a plethora of human emotions to just five was no mean feat, but co-directors Pete Docter and Ronaldo Del Carmen made excellent choices with their final team. They begin the film almost one-note, mainly solely displaying the characteristics of their individual emotions - for instance Joy is unwaveringly optimistic and Sadness constantly apologies for being a downer - but as the film progresses each character becomes increasingly complex. The initial simplicity serves as a contrast to highlight the necessity of a range of emotions, and how each and every one working in sync is vital. As Riley matures - moving away from being a vessel of pure happiness and heading into the tumultuous emotional waters of puberty - Inside Out ensures the characters in her head do to. After all Riley and her emotions are intrinsically intertwined, so it makes perfect sense for them to mature in tandem.
The stand-out star, though, has to be Sadness. Initially only there in childhood to elicit tears and tantrums when no-one else is manning the control desk, she's seen as the emotion to be avoided, accidentally tainting former memories and encouraging bouts of misery almost unintentionally. However, as the relationship between Joy and Sadness is tested along their journey to retrieve the core memories, it's Riley's relationship with Sadness that is the most interesting. This is a film that teaches children not to fear this negative emotion, and that it's not necessarily a bad thing to feel temporarily sad if it'll ultimately make you feel better in the long run. It's particularly fascinating to see this from a studio that has celebrated one emotion above all else - happiness - to such an extent that it forms the core of the brand. Disneyland has been the happiest place on earth for half a decade, so to see Sadness take the centre stage here and to challenge all Disney stands for is a wonderful thing to see. There's a brilliant article about this on The Playlist here, which I'd heartily recommend reading.
I laughed, I cried (twice), and I fully intend on seeing Inside Out again in a few weeks time. It makes for remarkable viewing (especially a scene during the credits), and trust me, you will feel all the feels.
THOR
* * * *
Netflix // 2011 // DVD
"The powerful but arrogant god Thor is cast out of Asgard to live amongst humans in Midgard (Earth), where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders."
Bad wigs aside, Thor provides an excellent start to the Norse God's section of the Marvel universe. In the same way that Captain America succeeds because it embraces the super soldier's squareness and uncompromising patriotism, Thor is so good because it doesn't shy away from the theatricality and pageantry of Asgard - the capes, the architecture, and the head gear (Loki's helmet is something else entirely) aren't exactly in short supply, and rightfully so. Director Kenneth Branagh takes it all in his stride and produces a film that is Shakespearean in its exploration of fathers and sons, and shrouded in CGI magic and the wonder of the universe. It makes for a heady combination, and while Thor may be cheesy it sets the characters up well for their future endeavours.
This film? I like it. Another!
POPULAIRE
* * * *
Netflix // 2012 // DVD
"1958. Rose is a terrible secretary but a demon typist. Her handsome boss resolves to turn her into the fastest girl in the world."
Somehow, the incredibly boring activity of competitive speed typing is made entertaining - and almost thrilling - in this effervescent, whimsical and incredibly stylish 1950s French rom-com, Populaire. It's charming, sweet and visually stunning, from the animated credits to the Mad Men-era costumes. Accompanied by a perky score and an excellent lead performance by Déborah François, Populaire is well worth a watch even though it may not be very original.
VEEP
* * * * *
Series 1-3 Box Sets currently available on Sky On Demand // DVD // Series 4 available On Demand from 4th July, airing on Sky Atlantic from 15th July
"Former Senator Selina Meyer finds that being Vice President of the United States is nothing like she hoped and everything that everyone ever warned her about."
With Series 4 around the corner, a rewatch of the previous seasons seemed appropriate behaviour recently! Given the fact that I can't really remember much of series 3, I'm glad I've downloaded it all before next week! Armando Iannucci's grasp of political satire is unrivalled, and his sharp, wickedly funny show bursting with astute observations of the Washington political scene and hilariously acidic insults (this supercut is particularly fantastic) should not be missed. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is a joy to behold as the incompetent Vice President, and with Hugh Laurie in the next series I'm already excited to see what happens.
I'm just not holding out much hope for the President to call for obvious reasons...
What have you seen this week? I'm intrigued by Mr Holmes and The Longest Ride but haven't managed to squeeze in a cinema trip yet: would you recommend them at all? I've heard mixed views... Do let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
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