Inside Out (2015) review - Movie Thoughts (Chapter 30) 💡

Hello everyone,

Today's film brings me back to raving and gushing about what I've been watching in lockdown, since my last few chapters have been some quite Grumpy Gus-level criticism. Like the majority of Disney and Pixar's catalogue, there is something really special and unique about this one that makes me smile everytime I revisit it. 10/10 would recommend if you haven't already seen this gem....

(**disclaimer: the following thoughts are 100% my opinion, you do not have to agree with them - film is inherently subjective and everyone's perspective is valid! Also, there are probably spoilers in the following, read at your own risk. Now onto some thoughts....**)

Source: IMDB

An inspired and dazzling adventure that brought the human mind to life with colour, depth and soul; this Disney/Pixar feature was a charming journey that tugged at the heartstrings of the whole family. 11 year old Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) moves to San Francisco from Minnesota and her team of Emotions try to navigate the transition. Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Anger (Lewis Black) know their roles; but when Joy and Sadness get lost in Long Term Memory, they must journey through new corners of Riley’s mind to get back to headquarters. A literal emotional rollercoaster and a love letter to the little guys and gals keeping busy inside our heads, everything about this film had fascinating complexity and beautiful thematic threads at its heart.

At its core, this film was an insanely clever concept executed to near-perfection. The bright whimsy of the emotions as characters was balanced with relevant and easy to understand areas of conflict. Moving to a new city/state, tensions within families and fighting instinctive homesickness were powerfully simple ideas that felt more believable onscreen because of their innate normalcy. The influence of Robert Plutchik’s ‘psychoevolutionary’ theory in formulating the concept gave a sense of purpose and clear intent to create something legitimately personal and poignant; as opposed to an eloquent and expensive piss take.

The nine-strong writing team created a script that was inventive, quippy and heartfelt; with dialogue that evoked laughter and reflection with equal fervour. What was most amazing about the film was technically the only villain was time and the notion of never feeling again. Even the antagonist was a dramatic metaphorical manifestation and another clever choice to continually ground the story in the emotional capital of real-world experiences.

An intricate and colourful aesthetic that fashioned the human brain as much more than just grey matter, everything looked overtly cartoony and unapologetically juvenile. Although the opening sequence felt longer than normal, it felt like falling down a rabbit hole into a new world and experiencing the fascination of its wonder for the first time whilst succinctly explaining the mechanics of how the world worked. There were plenty of moments for fresh and exciting visual exposition, and it never stopped being delightfully clever.

Although the packaging was cute creatures and dynamic animation, this film tackled its mature themes in a manner that simplified but never downplayed the reality of the situation. Everything had a degree of double meaning that was amazing to unpack and reflect on. Elephant-cat-fairyfloss combo creature Bing Bong (Richard Kind) was a sweetie with his cuddly behaviour, candy tears and song-powered rainbow wagon; but there was a concurrent shadow of understanding, particularly for older audiences, that as the imaginary childhood friend eventually he would become a forgotten relic of youth. His noble sacrifice not only humbled Joy and gave her some much needed perspective, but also gave a heartbreaking illustration of the necessity to let got of childhood in order to grow up. Although some of the thematic messaging was heavy-handed at times, it was incredibly moving to live those moments alongside Riley and the Emotions and uncover the thematic lessons within.

It is true the mind goes through a lot in just one year, and the layered thematic core of this film explored this notion with nuance and truth. The importance of all the emotions working together and its visual symbolism in multi-coloured memory marbles was a wonderful illustration of growth and teamwork. There is a time and a place for every emotion, and every feeling is important in moderation. Audiences got to see the Emotions maturing in their roles and striving to be the best versions of themselves alongside Riley adjusting to a big life change and growing up a little in the process.

Much of the emotional satisfaction and payoff also came in Joy’s growth from an obsessively single-minded and selfish wingless Tinkerbell to a vibrant and supportive teamplayer. Those scenes where Joy had her revelations about the importance and value of sadness were incredible to watch and feel through her facial expressions and particularly expressive eyes. Director Peter Docter, co-director Ronnie Del Carmen and the writers explored the significance of sadness in life through a disarmingly juvenile lens with tremendous success. Battling and avoiding being sad doesn’t work, it’s not healthy. We all have to learn how to live with our sadness in order for it to have meaning; especially if it has a bob and cozy sweater.

Inside Out was able to pack so much emotive power, complex memorable characters and an intricate thematic core into an action-packed 95 minutes. An outlandish concept executed in all seriousness and stunning visual expertise, it has truly earnt a place amongst Disney/Pixar’s greatest of all time.

9/10, 4 STARS

Thanks for reading,

Love and joy, sadness, fear, anger and disgust, Emily 💡