Inside Out (2015) Review

When Walt Disney set out to create the first feature-length animated films he was not merely trying to make colorful films that kids would enjoy and which parents could gleam some slight humor from, rather, he wanted to use animation as a tool that could tell stories live-action couldn't. This spirit of experimentation is visible in the earliest Disney films but as profitability concerns began to play a factor the experimentation was done away with. In its place came quality stories which are fun to watch but which lack the adventurous spark of the earlier efforts. This spirit wouldn't be regained until the 1990s. The studio that would bring it back was not the studio Walt started but rather PIXAR. Regular Disney movies were getting better in the early 90s but Pixar with its CG animation really stepped things up. They made movies from the perspective of toys, a family of superheroes, a rat that could cook, and an elderly man. It felt like Pixar had taken up Walt's legacy and wasn't letting go. Then, a string of mediocre films made us doubt whether animation would ever reach that original glory ever again. I am very pleased to report that with their latest, Inside Out, Pixar had ended their losing streak and achieved one of their most decisive victories.

Inside Out tells the story of the emotions inside an 11 year old girl's head. These emotions are each embodied by a character and run her brain from a control room. When the girl, Riley, moves from her hometown to San Francisco the action begins. I don't want to spoil what happens for anybody that hasn't seen the film, but needless to say the plot will involve new challenges for all of the emotions as they deal with the move.

The plot of this film is outwardly simple and inwardly intricate. It's a riveting piece of storytelling that allows for the audience to get an all access tour of Riley's head. The film excels in detailed symbolism which is so good that I almost chuckled at how clever some of it was. There are explanations given for how dreams are made and why songs get stuck in our heads as well as an exploration of abstract thought. All of this scenery propels the story forward, but it also adds depth. Sure, kids will find it colorful and exciting but the deeper significance of the locations in Reilly's brain will only be gained by older kids and adults. There's so much here that it could be worth a second viewing.

Aside from the setting, the plot is an emotional roller-coaster. It's full of highs and lows and twists and turns. some of these moments are so profound they may have you in tears. Most importantly, the finale is fulfilling in a way that few endings in mainstream film are. What's even more impressive than this film's profundity is its humor. There are plenty of great jokes in this film that are more than just cheap pop culture references.

The voice cast is uniformly excellent but Amy Poehler's joy is of particular note. This is animation telling a story only animation can tell and thus it is not only vintage Pixar but vintage Disney. Inside Out is also the best film I've seen so far this year, I'm sure that somewhere Mr. Disney is smiling 5/5!

Mud (2013) Movie Review

In a time when the theaters are filled with superheroes and reboots of '60's SciFi shows, it's nice to catch a movie like Mud. Mud is a little bit out of place in the schedule because a movie of this caliber should be coming out towards the end of the year so that it can be a prime Oscar contender. Yet I'm not worried Mud will be overlooked because it simply can't be. The story about a pair of boys who find a mysterious man named mud living in a ship wreck on an island is reminiscent of both coming of age stories of old and Mark Twain. At its core this film is really about one boys understanding of love and relationships. The film has high caliber acting from its entire cast especially the main kid who really manages to carry the movie, something that I have never seen a kid actor do so well before. I reluctantly admit that Matthew McConaughey gives a good performance in the title role. I genuinely dislike him in almost everything he is in, but in this film I think he found a role that I don't hate him in and that may be the film's greatest achievement. This movie is really one that you have to see and then ponder something entirely different than the typical summer blockbuster. And yet Mud is also an entertaining film, knowing how to pull on all the right strings as well. Catch this film in the theater if you can as a welcome and wonderful break from the typical summer blockbuster 5/5!

2 Films: Ernst Lubitsch

Ernst Lubitsch would have to be one of the most sadly forgotten directors of all time, His work was incredibly popular during the golden age of hollywood and his branded “Lubitsch touch” was as famous as Alfred Hitchcock’s title of “the maste of suspense”. Ernst Lubitsch virtually invented the modern romantic comedy and his films possess a sophistication that no comedy films today possess. Here are two films that I recently viewed from the work of the great Director Ernst Lubitsch.

Trouble In Paradise (1932)

There is really no other film quite like Trouble in Paradise. It is a pre-code (meaning before movies were censored as heavily) sophisticated romantic comedy, often called the first modern romantic comedy. This film is also Ernst Lubitsch’s first talking rom com and it works so well. It’s hard to describe what the Lubitsch touch is but once you see this film you will know. While it isn’t really a laugh out loud funny film per se the whole thing is so wonderfully sophisticated that it just never fails to be; utterly irresistible. The style on display here is unique to its time period with immaculately decorated art deco sets. This film has a level of sophistication that has never really been matched. In many ways this comedy is all about sex and seduction but it is all done in such a wonderfully sophisticated manner that it has a much greater and more enjoyable impact. The acting is top notch and the whole film is like a time capsule. One year later when the code hit this film would not have been able to have been made and one year earlier it would have been far more of a talkie, meaning that the acting would have been stiffer and the music would have been mostly gone. But coming out when it does this movie is one of a kind and a true treasure for anyone who enjoys romantic comedies or movies in general. It’s a little difficult to find but well, well worth it! 5/5!

Ninotchka (1939)

Ninotchka is one of the films from Hollywood’s greatest year (the year of Gone With the Wind, the Wizard of Oz and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) and like all the film it seems from that year this one is also truly great. It is a very romantic comedy with emphasis on the romance. Lubitsch was a very romantic director and in some cases his movies almost stop comedy all together it seems in order to pursue romance. It doesn’t matter because he does romance so tastefully and well that the audience doesn’t care. Don’t get me wrong though Ninotchka is funny and it has the Lubitsch touch. It’s a story about a Russian female colonel who falls in love with a very capitalistic man in Paris. This contrast between communism and capitalism gives the film some truly great moments. The jabs at the Russian communist state are quite funny but it’s also interesting to see how Lubitsch does not dehumanize the soviets but rather humanizes them. This makes the film truly interesting. Gretta Garbo is truly great as the Colonel and this is her one comedy. The film is maybe a little long but it is so interesting and funny that it keeps you watching 4.5/5