Inside Out

Movie: Inside Out

Directed by: Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen

Written by: Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley, Pete Docter

Running time: 94 minutes

Eleven-year old Riley and her parents move from their home in Minnesota and shift to San Francisco when Riley's father gets a new job there. Riley is controlled, like any of us, by her emotions and their memories. Joy, Anger, Sadness, Disgust and Fear, work around tirelessly in Riley's brain to try and ensure that Riley has a "happy day". And, when they learn that the family is moving, they struggle to keep up Riley happy. 

Joy, the one responsible to make Riley feel happy, is a little too ambitious in the beginning, wanting all and most memories to be joyful. Joy puts down Sadness and keeps her at bay from coming to Riley. However, this lands them in trouble, as Joy and Sadness get sucked out of Brain Headquarters in a mishap, and land in the mazes of long term memory- far, far away from the active brain HQ. Now, with them removed, Riley can feel neither sadness nor joy, and her life is solely controlled by fear, disgust and anger, who though function with good intentions cannot produce the results that Joy or Sadness can. With the absence of Joy and Sadness, Riley's core memories and islands of personality such as Family Island, Friendship Island, Goof-ball Island, Honesty Island start falling apart. 

Left alone with Sadness, Joy comes to the shocking realisation that sometimes allowing someone to feel sad is what lets them be joyful later. She understands the importance of not neglecting any emotion. On an adventurous expedition back to the Headquarters, Joy and Sadness work together, and finally reach on time to save Riley from her thoughts of running away from home. Joy gives Sadness a free hand over Riley to set things alright, and to get back happiness in her. And, since then, Riley's memories are not overpowered by just Joy, but lets in other emotions, and has a beautiful mix of all.

One of the most brilliant movies ever, teeming with innovation and a fresh perspective on something that all of us know and experience every day. The importance and necessity to balance all emotions is something that we all struggle to do even as we grow up. It made me teary-eyed, and melted my heart. It is one of the most refreshing, thought-provoking, inventive feel-good film I've watched. The screenplay and the sequencing is brilliant, and the visuals and animation needs no more say than "Disney-Pixar".

A beautiful, wonderful film that everyone needs to watch!