Rebel Without a Pause Button

It seems that nearly every film that Pixar creates is greeted with excitement and praise and Inside Out is no different. Following a two year hiatus, the studio has emerged with another unique and emotional film that has once again been met with rave reviews. The central idea in Inside Out is that every person has a "team" of emotions in their mind who work to navigate them through life: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust. Eleven year old Riley is a happy loving-life kid, primarily controlled by Joy (Amy Poehler) but when they move from Minnesota to San Francisco, Joy and Riley's other emotions struggle to cope with the change. Sadness (Phyllis Smith) begins to turn Riley's memories negative and her key life moments escape, with Joy and Sadness venturing to recover them. The main strength of Inside Out is the characters and the voice acting. Riley's emotions are all entertaining and very likeable and are what keep the whole film together. Poehler is a defini...

Eva (Tilda Swinton) struggles with motherhood, becoming increasingly estranged from her son Kevin (Ezra Miller, in a brilliantly understated performance equalled only by Swinton), who becomes more and more destructive to his mother. While he "bonds" with his father Franklin (John C. Reilly), his chilling remarks to Eva and disturbing actions begin to send her into madness, as she struggles to maintain her love for her son. The story is well told, switching between the past and the present, where Eva is struggling to cope with the aftermath. Every incident between Kevin and Eva is exaggerated and the effect as perturbing as an act of violence, emphasised by the probing directing style which digs deep into Eva's psyche. The soundtrack is used brilliantly to juxtapose with what we see on screen, with lighthearted country music accompanying Eva's breakdown to haunting effect. The eerie ambient soundscapes that emerge towards the end are no doubt thanks to Jonny Greenw...