"Up" is beautiful

Rating: 10/10 (31 May 2009)

I have now seen "Up" twice in three days. On Friday night, per my usual movie-going routine, and today with both kids and wife in tow. I wanted to share this film with them and laugh and cry and delight with them. This movie is that good and people are soon gonna be spreading the gospel of "Up" bringing friends, family, neighbors to share this film with them. "Up" is a movie about things, big things, scary things, but it also features talking dogs so your whole family will be entertained. It's a blockbuster that respects the intelligence of the audience and continues to display Pixar's masterful storytelling economy. Watch any given Pixar film a few times and you'll be amazed at how almost each line of dialogue or dialogue-free image moves the story forward, works as foreshadowing, and underlines the film's themes.
"Up" is also beautiful. And painful. And exuberant. In its first fifteen minutes we experience most of the life of Carl Frederickson, husband of Ellie, balloon salesman, and dreamer. We see him go from quiet child to crotchety coot in a very short span and the speed with which his life passes is painfully swift. Carl and Ellie make grand plans, but life keeps getting in the way. Soon we are experiencing life alongside senior citizen Carl who decides to fulfill a childhood promise to his sweetheart Ellie and undertake a safari to South America.
Carl turns his home into a sky vessel in a beautiful scene that will have you grinning from ear to ear. As he sets off on his trip, he discovers stowaway Cub Scout Russell, an earnest young man with, like so many Pixar heroes before him, a generous spirit. Their journey very quickly, in what will be a surprise to no one, gets complicated and dangerous.
The film reaches a heartbreaking emotional crescendo in its first act making the standard adventure elements of the second and third seem almost prosaic in comparison. This bothered me less on the second viewing when I was more tuned into the film's comedy, inventiveness, and consistent beauty. I was also able to observe the care with which each image is constructed. The placement of characters and objects on the screen always serves a thematic purpose and decoding these was a real pleasure. There's metaphors aplenty in this tale and unpacking all of them is instructive. I also took the chance to enjoy the craftsmanship, voice-acting, animation, and score. The score, by Michael Giacchino (of "The Incredibles," Star Trek," and "Medal of Honor" game series) is exquisite and will surely prove to be one of the year's best. (I'm listening to it once again as I write this.) "Up" is a grand achievement that grapples with loss, love, and the utter necessity of connecting and giving one's self to others. It's a brave movie that will make you laugh and cry and not feel bad about it in the morning. Go see this one soon and take someone you love.