'Inside Out' (U)

*****

For the first eleven years of Riley’s life, she has been happy, all thanks to Joy. However, when her family decide to move to San Francisco, Riley must learn to cope with the increased activity of the other voices in her head: Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear.

It is rare to come across a film as innovative and compelling as Inside Out; the pure creativity and originality on display here further cements Pixar’s reputation as a studio at the top of its game. The premise of the story appears a daunting one, and a topic that did not, for me, translate well in the trailer, but I urge you not to be perturbed and to seek this out.

Inside Riley’s head, inside all our heads, is a Headquarters, wherein five emotions live: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear, all characterised by various vibrant colours and forms. Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler) has been used to being in charge in Headquarters, overseeing Riley’s Core Memories and Personality Islands, but in moving house, Riley is not as happy as she used to be, and Joy finds her position at the controls of Headquarters under threat, leading to a journey around Riley’s mind. It is an incredibly clever idea, and whilst the ideas of Abstract Thought, the Subconscious, Train of Thought (an actual train, driving around Riley’s mind), and Memory Bank may pass some of the younger viewers by, the creative, simplistic and engaging way in which the mind is studied means that there’s so much to learn and enjoy. Pixar has always thrived on bringing ‘darker’ themes to young audiences, from death and heartbreak in Up, abandonment in Toy Story 2 and loneliness in WALL-E, and Inside Out is no different, studying a young girl at a pivotal point of change. And, what’s more, it all makes sense! It’s hard to explain, but all the different features add up to make a strangely plausible case for what is really going on inside our heads at any given time.

For younger viewers, the bright visuals and nippy storyline will provide something more basic to engage with, along with gags in Dream World and Imagination Land. I have read some criticism that suggests this film is ‘too grown up’ for children to understand, but I would disagree – if Riley shows us anything, it’s that children are far more perceptive and intuitive than we give them credit for, and, whilst a very young child might only take away the bright colours from a first viewing, there is plenty here to warrant repeated viewings. There is plenty of humour too, from the way in which a song gets stuck in your head, to a particularly realistic family dinner that ends in disaster. Also, broccoli pizza? Eww!

The trailer put me off, but the overwhelming number of excellent reviews and positive feedback from peers meant I had to seek it out, and I’m glad I did. Funny, witty, engaging and clever, Inside Out demonstrates inventive story-telling and excellent film-making from start to finish. I think sometimes grown-ups, as it were, are often put off seeing something with a U certificate, but this is insane – this film is far more perceptive, intelligent and inventive than any 15- or 18-rated I have seen in a long time, and if you aren’t left with tears in your eyes at the end, you probably need a word with the little voices in your head.