inside out

2015: The Top Ten

Posted on December 27, 2015 by Charlotte_Sometimes

8 months of the year in review

Seeing as everyone is doing this kind of list I thought I should do my own. However as I only started this blog in April my top ten will be from April – December 2015. For each choice I will give one reason for my decision and a link to my original review. Hopefully happy reading and happy new year! – Charlotte Sometimes

10) Ant-Man

After the relative disappointment of ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ this film was a surprise and joy to watch. Paul Rudd is hilarious in the title role as are the majority of the supporting cast, with Michael Pena often stealing the show.

9) Phoenix

This film is undeservedly little-known. It’s tensw, complex, atmospheric and utterly heartbreaking – a character study which shows that much of the devastation of war occurs during the aftermath.

8) Mad Max: Fury Road

Little needs to be said about why this film is so good. My two main reasons are Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furosa and the flamethrower guitarist (which is a must in a post-apocalyptic society). My main reluctance for not placing it higher is that I have only seen it once at the cinema, I fear that a rewatch on a smaller screen would provide less spectacle and resulting glee that the initial viewing provided.

7) The Diary of a Teenage Girl

Based on a graphic novel this film offers something very few films that feature teenage girls actually provides – a real insight into the turmoil that one endures

when not a girl but not yet a woman. Bel Powley is so emphatic in the lead role that she marks herself out as one to watch in the future.

6) The Gift

If an award was given to unsung contribution to cinema of 2015 it would have to go to Joel Egerton. This film, which he directed, starred in and wrote, is both tense and engaging . It is also sharp and full of twists and turns implying that the much-maligned Thriller genre has more bite in it yet.

5) Man Up

Few genres offer as much loathing and love in equal measure as the Romanic Comedy. Tess Morris’ screenwriting debut is wicked smart and laden with multiple layers of emotion. Simon Pegg and Lake Bell are wonderful leads who are fantastically supported with a brilliant supporting cast. London rarely looks this good!

4) Star Wars

The Force Awakens, as does my fandom…

3) Grandma

Lily Tomlin is extraordinary in this small yet superb movie. A road movie about getting an abortion may not sound that interesting or even appealing, yet this film is unexpectedly gripping and hilarious.

2) Inside Out

In a world in which awards ceremonies were just, and didn’t just go to oscar bait or oscar baiting performances, this film would sweep the awards. It truly deserves to. It manages to portray such an emotive and important issue as mental health with humour and love.

1) Brooklyn

Of all the above ranking, this was the easiest to choose. Brooklyn is a timeless romantic epic. Saoirse Ronan is wonderfully endearing, giving a subtle performance (again something which rarely receives the awards it deserves) which deftly tugs at the heartstrings. With so many extraordinary character performances she manages to retain our focus. Few, if any other actresses of her age, have the ability to reveal so much with a look.

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Charlotte_Sometimes

Pixar proving that it really does know us Inside Out…

This film is Pixar’s best outing yet. It’s so clever, moving and beautifully told – in the way only Pixar an master. An outstanding treat of a film for both kids and adults. Both silly yet serious, it manages to articulate the traumas of growing up in a way that both reflects them for the kids but prompts self-reflection from the adults. It cannot be emphasised enough how universal the film is, with a multitude of jokes that will appeal to all markets. It’s witty, yet warm and oh-so wise. Joy. Sadness. Fear. Disgust. Anger. These are all emotions that we feel, often simultaneously, yet this film makes us consider the true power of these emotions and how they are all equally important – in a manner that will make you giggle and possibly shed a tear or two.

11-year-old Riley lives in Minnesota with her mum and dad. For Riley, everyday is a great day. She loves her family, friends, hockey and goofing around. With Joy (Amy Poehler) at the helm in the Headquarters -Riley’s conscious mind- to influence Riley’s actions and memories. Joy, along with Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling), use a control console to interact with Riley. Even after 11 years, they still cannot understand the purpose of Sadness (Phyllis Smith). Yet Riley’s life quickly changes, with her family moving to San Francisco for her dad’s work. Whilst Joy and the other three emotions are trying to negotiate Riley’s well-being upon moving, they most also deal with Sadness who has started to touch some of Riley’s happy memories, transforming them to be sad. When trying to fix one of these memories Joy and Sadness end up being transported away from Headquarters into the labyrinthian maze that is Riley’s mind.

It’s immensely hard to find the words to explain just how extraordinary this film is. In typical Pixar-style it has created a film with a premise that seems so obvious, the idea of our emotions having personalities, yet manages to create something so beautifully poignant, entertaining and moving. Riley’s turmoil is so well reflected, it will bring back evocative memories for all. For the parents of the audience it could only be doubly heartfelt – an opportunity to see inside your child’s mind!

How these aspects are converted onto the screen are what makes Pixar so innovative. We have the Train of Thought, Personality Islands and the dreaded Memory Dump. A stand-out sequence has to when Sadness, Joy and Bing-Bong (Riley’s long forgotten imaginary friend) stop by the production studio for Dreams. It’s just so meta, with the revelation that dreams are actually created in a movie studio style-operation, reflecting on the manufacturing and perception of moving image. All of this is incredibly astute, but told in a way that is accessible to all ages. But what really makes us care about the events of this film is the characterisation. All the characters are fully developed and three dimensional – Riley is portrayed as such a lovely kid going through a real crisis, her loving parents doing all they can to help and their bond is so endearing. The emotions do steal the show here – they each have nuances and quirks yet are all untied with their tender treatment of Riley.

If you decide to go to the cinema only once this Summer, this is the film to see. It’s conceptually daring in both emotion and intellect, so comforting and simple but also affecting and thoughtful. A masterpiece.

Mini-Review: Lava

Like all Pixar movies this film starts with a short, a beautiful love story called ‘Lava’. Told through song, a lonely volcano expresses his need for a companion he can love. It’s a beautiful sequence, the colourings and textures of the island landscape with the camera panning over so elegantly create an almost mythical tone. It’s hard to believe how far, animation-wise Pixar and its technology has developed since ‘Knick-Knack’ (1989) one of its earliest and similarly themed shorts. A timeless and universal theme presented in a extraordinary setting and style – setting you up perfectly for the main picture.