Rating : 7/10
Release Date : 26th June, 2015
Time : 94 minutes
Directors, Writers : Pete Docter, Ronaldo Del Carmen; Music : Michael Giacchino
Starring : (voices of) : Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Richard Kind, Kaitlyn Dias, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan
Which are the different emotions that guide us, interplay inside our head ? What really does happen in there ? Wouldn’t we just want to be happy all the time ? Could we ? It’s always fun when an animated movie raises such fundamental questions…and answers them in its own simplistic style…
Inside little Riley’s head run five emotions – Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness – and they’ve been with her since she was born. She’s an only child, happy, bouncy, loved by her parents, enjoying a normal existence in Minnesota, when suddenly, at the tender age of eleven, her first major crisis arrives. They have to move to San Francisco, due to her father’s work. Now she, and her five emotions, have to navigate through a new city, new home, new school, new friends…the works…
There is an extended sequence, which takes us out of Riley’s mental control room, and shows us other portions of the mind – a quite fascinating take on how our mind is organized, it’s different components, memories, islands etc. This part does go on for a little bit too long, drags a bit but is also when some fundamental realizations are made…
This isn’t one of those laugh out loud movies. There are a few moments of slapstick humour but most of the movie is funny in a more subtle way. Though a brief look at Riley’s parents inner minds is assured to bring on more than just a smile. Do stay for the end-credits, where they do a swift tour of some of the movie’s supporting cast. Events wise, there is nothing dramatic that really occurs, it’s all quite normal day-to-day stuff in our lives, - but then isn’t there a lot of depth to be found even in the most mundane of activities ?
PS : Whatever you do, do not arrive late for the film, as it’s preceded by a most beautiful, touching short (also by Pixar) called Lava…
Cognoscenti, a story from my childhood : A seagull was flying over a beach, when it saw a mouse. It flew down and adked the mouse : 'Where are your wings ?'..... Each animal speaks its own language & so the mouse didn't understand the question, but stared at the two strange, large things attached to the other creature's body. 'It must have some illness,' thought the mouse. The seagull noticed the mouse staring at its wings and thought : 'Poor thing. It must have been attacked by monsters that left it deaf and took away its wings.' ... Feeling sorry for the mouse, the seagull picked it up in its beak and took it for a ride in the skies... 'It's probably homesick,' the seagull thought while they were flying. Then, very carefully, it deposited the mouse once more on the ground.... For some months afterwards, the mouse was sunk in gloom; it had known the heights and seen a vast beautiful world... However, in time, it grew accustomed to being just a mouse again and came to believe that the miracle that had occurred in its life was nothing but a dream...
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