SW: Inside Out
Inside Out is a much-needed reminder that, when on its game, Pixar is among the best storytellers in the world. Combining the imagination of Monsters Inc. with the adventurousness of Up, the latest foray into the mind of writer-director Pete Docter makes for Pixar’s most colourful and technically accomplished film to date.
Inside Out is so effortlessly charming, inventive, and entertaining that you might take for granted the monumental risks all involved took with the project. The story of an 11-year-old’s competing emotions is the trickiest one the studio has ever told, but the love and care put into making Inside Out another Pixar classic is undeniable. Kids will wear out the DVD and parents will wear out their handkerchiefs – Inside Out is just that mind-bogglingly good.
IF: Cinderella
Leave it to Kenneth Branagh to out-Disney Disney with a majestic adaptation of Cinderella as earnest and extravagant as the animated pic now considered a classic. His film is a marvel of costuming and production design, from the lavish hues of ballroom gowns to the indelible image of an enchanted pumpkin busting from the confines of a vine-colored greenhouse, and his ballroom sequence trumps even the original’s.
Cinderella is a stunning success for many reasons but most prominently that Branagh and screenwriter Chris Weitz still believe in the timeless power of the original story, and their only modifications are to slyly transform one of fairy-tale lore’s least active heroines into a progressive paragon of selflessness and self-acceptance. It’s a movie attuned to the concerns of modern audiences, from self-image to moral ambiguity, as well as one that remembers the eternally in-vogue emotional beats of the tale.
None of it would work were it not for the shining performance of Lily James as lovely Cinders, an absolutely flawless turn that balances sweetness and sincerity with astounding grace. She’s a wonderful role model for the young’uns, true to her own virtue and confident in her ability to make the world a better place. Cate Blanchett is also sensational as the ugly stepmother, bringing a tragic dimension to the character that makes her conniving ways all the more piteous. And Helena Bonham Carter is a riot as the kooky fairy godfather, while Richard Madden’s prince is an appropriately charismatic dreamboat. These actors are on Branagh’s tempo every step of the way, and together, they make pure cinematic magic.