Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Inside Out
2015
****
Director: Pete Docter
Cast: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Richard Kind, Kaitlyn Dias, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan

Riley is a happy 11-year-old girl whose mind is governed by Joy and four other emotions - Sadness, Disgust, Fear and Anger. Just when the girl must cope with a stressful move across the country, Joy and Sadness find themselves locked outside the control room and Riley's emotional state becomes unstable. This lovely and original animation arrives from Pixar's bottomless treasure trove of imagination, and it is certainly clever and inventive, almost to a fault. The studio is convinced that the concepts of the mind (emotions, memories, dreams, subconscious) are not too abstract for the little ones to grasp. I'm not sure I fully agree, but grown-ups can certainly appreciate the level of detail in this funny and moving film. Academy Award winner for Best Animated Feature.