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Inside Out – Film Review

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to get an inside look into your emotions or that of another person. Well Disney and Pixar who never seem to disappoint on the animation front teamed up to deliver a beautiful, emotional and astounding view into human emotions in ‘Inside Out’.

Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) is a happy, hockey-loving 11-year-old Midwestern girl, whose world turns upside-down when she and her parents move to San Francisco. Fast forward to her being uprooted with her emotions, joy, fear, anger, disgust and sadness, in conflict on how best to cope in a new environment where she has to make new friends. In this turmoil, her parents still expect her to be the endearing hockey playing pre-teen they are so fond of.
Her emotions, led by Joy (Amy Poehler)who is upbeat, fun and always ready to turn a frown upside down, fear (Bill Harder), sadness (Phyllis Smith, anger (Lewis Black), and disgust (Mindy Kaling) all work as guides to help her through change. However Joy is so obsessed with keeping Riley happy which puts her in the spotlight and alienates ‘Sadness’ who seems to be feeling sadder than blue as her work is not really wanted. Things go from being upbeat to sad, to lot and lots of anger as all good memories begin to be forgotten and dumped in a dark place where they disappear like chaff before the wind.
Offering a stellar cast, adorable characters and a great storyline, it’s safe to say ‘Inside Out’ is by far one of the best animations that have ever hit the big screen. Directors and Writers Pete Docter and Ronaldo Del Carmen, are modern day ‘animated movie Picassos’, who not only manage to make you laugh, but also take you back in time and make you cry. They make it possible for young viewers to understand their emotions better in this wonderful passage through their childhood. The film is not only thrilling to watch, it has many lessons embedded in the excellent story line. No matter what we go through we can not pretend to feel something that we don’t want to, we can’t always be happy because happiness does not always solve our problems or show our true feelings. Sometimes we have to be sad in order to get understanding from our families and friends.
The film is a great watch for everyone, just don’t be fooled by its colorful scenery, songs and poems. It is rated PG so you might have to walk through your little one on some of the terms in the film. Like ‘Frozen’, which taught us all how to love unconditionally, this film will pull at your heart strings with its freshness and originality which everyone can relate to. Even the intro before the main film starts, ‘Lava’, is sad but also shows that when one is drowning in sadness, there is hope that he or she will rise above any situation.
If you are looking to add hope to your life or those around you, go watch ‘Inside Out’ to catch a glimpse of human emotions in a story so well written it will melt your heart.
‘Inside Out’ is one of the best examples there is that animation is a medium which transcends the stereotype of being a simple children’s animation. It is great to see a film that says it is okay to feel sad, disgusted and afraid sometimes.
Watching ‘Inside Out’ will not only shed light on human emotions but will most definitely help bring open communication between you and your loved ones. Forget going to a shrink, and taking those anti-depressants, go see ‘Inside Out’ instead, it’s the cheapest but most rewarding therapy you will ever get.

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