INSIDE OUT
Directed by Peter Doctor
Screenplay by Peter Doctor; Ronaldo del Carmen; Meg LeFauve; and Josh Cooley
Starring the voices of: Amu Poehler; Phylliss Smith; Richard Kind; Bill Hader; Lewis Black; and Mindy Kaling.
After 11 year old Riley is uprooted from her life in Minnesota (in fact she plays ice hockey which I love about her) and moves with her parents to San Francisco, Joy (Poehler), Fear (Hader), Anger(Black), Disgust(Kaling) and Sadness(Smith) - conflict on how best to navigate her new surroundings and her brain/emotions.
Now director Peter Doctor also did UP, and if you think back there is a umbrella of sadness in UP. Carl lost his wife and it is emotional for him, and you can feel it coming off the screen. Now UP had Dug to add a little levity. In Inside Out Doctor pokes at our emotions again...without much levity. This film is heavy. Riley is sad through about 85% of the film. You feel her sadness. You feel the parents sadness. At times it is so real it is heartbreaking. This does not make the film bad, just different. I think the the film is not for young children, not that there is anything bad for them to see, they just may not get it. Riley is 11, and I think the film may be for 11/ 12/teenagers/and parents.
The screenplay is very good. The look of the film is awesome, in fact it is like nothing you have seen from Pixar. There are layers of colors muted and also very bright, it takes a bit to get use to.
A quick note of maybe two unsung people: Richard Kind as Riley's imaginary friend Bing Bong is just ...words cant say (no spoiler)!! Kaitlyn Dias is Riley and this film relies on us loving Riley, so her voice makes it work.
We learn there is no joy without sadness and no sadness without joy, so sadness is okay just talk it out with your parents and do not hold it inside. And also memories and time can be sadly fleeting.
4 1/2 out of 5 for this very different Pixar gem!! Tissues!! Please note: stay for the credits, you see in the mind of teachers, dogs, cats and so on
LAVA the Pixar short with the film...I thought it was a bit creepy. It involves a volcano wanting love. It was just strange. However the music was cool.
THE END OF THE TOUR
Directed by James Ponsoldt
Screenplay by Donald Margulies
Based on the book by David Lipsky
Starring Jason Segel and Jesse Eisenberg
The true story of a five day road trip following David Wallace (Segel) and Rolling Stone writer David Lipsky (Eisenberg) as Wallace finishes up his book tour for his 1000+ page novel Infinite Jest.
I love a good road trip movie. This one is really good. In fact it may be the one of best films of the year.
It does not touch on the life of Wallace but it touches on the relationship and conversation between the two writers.
Segel as Wallace, gives an Oscar worthy performance, is so relaxed and at the same time nervous. He has awful social skills and is more relaxed and relates with his dogs than with most people. He says so much with his ticks and stares and when he talks he sucks you into every word. Often you wonder who is interviewing who on the road trip because he asks as many questions as Lipsky.
Eisenberg is also wonderful, stepping back just enough to let Segel command the screen.
The film captures a moment in time, watching Wallace, who is aware of all going on around him ( a great speech about TV screens is almost seeing into the future). He is kind but not a pushover. He does not lecture he just suggests and he is almost embarrassed by the attention and at the same time a little proud. Still, after all the success of this book, which he seems to not understand, he still fights with depression, he talks about his depression history in one heart breaking scene. It is so honest and raw.
At the end, we realize, for Lipsky it was more than an interview on a road trip. As Wallace says at one point "This is nice". It may have started out as just an interview but looking back I think he sees, it was two friends enjoying, laughing, arguing during a moment of time that was captured on tape.
The film is so different, so interesting, so relaxed, and so sad. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars for The End Of The Tour. Find it and see it!! Watch during the credits.
VACATION
Directed and Screenplay by John Francis Daley and Jonathan M Goldstein
Starring: Ed Helms; Christina Applegate; Skyler Gisondo; and Steele Stebbins
Rusty Griswold takes his own family on a road trip to "Walley World" in order to spice things up with his wife and reconnect with his sons.
You watch telling yourself over and over again to be fair and do not compare it to the original. However it is hard because it refers to the original often.
I can tell you this, this Vacation is an R, and it earns it. This is not your old school Vacation, there are many crude jokes and crude visual jokes. Many of those jokes fall very flat.
On the other hand, it has many jokes that work, including a very funny visit to Chris Hensworth's farm. Who would have thought Thor could be so funny??!! And we already know that Applegate and Helms have fantastic comic timing.
You go and see this film to laugh and I can tell you that this film was much funnier than I thought it would be and I laughed out loud often. So in that respect I have to give it 3 stars out of 5 for Vacation, a little bit of an enjoyable surprise.
As always from the shadows thanks for your time.
No comments:
Post a Comment