Inside Out

Pixar has a way of taking the ordinary things that unite us all – the fear of the monster in your closet, the joy that comes from friendship, the pain of the losses that we all face – and transforming them into something truly incredible. Their latest picture,Inside Out, takes the idea of feelings, personalities and growing up, and crafts an amazing film like nothing you’ve ever seen – you could quite easily make the case for this being Pixar’s best film yet, which is indicative of its quality. The film is mostly set in the head of Riley, an 11-year-old hockey loving girl who finds herself uprooted from her life and moved to San Francisco. Her emotions – Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust – fight to find the best way to deal with a new city, a new house and a new school. However, an accident leads to Joy and Sadness winding up lost in Riley’s mind, and they must get back before Riley loses herself and the personality that makes her unique. This film blends the everyday mishaps of a young girl with the madcap and bureaucratic world of the inner mind, cleverly realised with things like dreams and memories presented in a brilliantly surreal way. And it is a testament to the filmmakers that both feels as natural as the other – the story is more than the sum of its halves, and it is topped off with a beautiful score from Michael Giacchino. Inside Out is, in its own words, a major emotion picture – it will make you laugh and cry, and offer you that magic – that warm feeling – that only Pixar can.