Perhaps The Most Important Film Of The Year

Rating: 10/10 (19 June 2015)

I walked into this film today with high expectations. They were met, and THEN SOME.
This film is the best film Pixar has ever churned out, bar none. It is quite easily the best film I've seen all year. The reason I say it's the most important film of the year is because of what it accomplishes for animation and for children's films in general.
So often, especially in children's cinema, we are told that everything ends up happy, and if you keep your chin up and don't let the "mean reds" (or the mean blues, as it were) get to you, you'll be fine. That old "sun-will-come-out-tomorrow", "chin-up", "whistle- while-you- work" attitude. But what this movie does is let everyone know the inescapable truth- it's OK - nay, healthy - to be sad for a time. It is only through sadness that we can feel the happiest, and this movie plays each card it can to make us feel that - and to great effect.
That aside, this movie is the best children's film I've seen in a LONG while, and especially from Pixar. Not since FINDING NEMO have I seen such a level of depth and emotion from a children's film. The animation is literally effervescent, with the emotions radiating a certain soda-bubbles effect that looks simply amazing.
As for the voice cast, they're flawless. Amy Poehler plays a unique level of emotion into Joy. Not only is she amazingly happy, but she knows just when to dial it back and be somber, and even tearful. Sadness steals the emotion show, however. Phyllis Smith is absolutely flawless in every way. Her portrayal of the timid emotion Sadness is as well-realized as any Oscar contender. Bill Hader and Lewis Black cracked me up as Fear and Anger respectively. Mindy Kaling was also very cute, even though her part in the film is notably small. Another voice credit shout out goes to Richard Kind, who plays an amazingly touching lost imaginary friend named Bing Bong.
In a nutshell, go see this film. Easily the most important children's film of the year, and also perhaps the most important film of the year.
10/10 - would recommend.