I may have mentioned this at least once in another thread(s), but while I find the romance genre the easiest to mess up, I’m not entirely against it, especially for the reasons many of my friends and family would like to believe. Especially when they’re done very well, such as this film, it only makes my faith in cinema all the stronger.

Speaking of strength, the acting in Testament of Youth is absolutely powerhouse. I decided to keep my eye on Alicia Vikander after her appearance in 2012’s Anna Karenina, and when she took on the far more nuanced role as an android in Ex Machina, she was someone that I knew I could not turn away from. However, none of her performances can possibly top the one she gives as Vera Brittain, which is so raw and so moving, that it’s impossible not to feel her sentiment and where it leads her later on in her life. Game of Thrones alum Kit Harrington (playing Roland) also shows he can put on a decent performance that stands apart from his Jon Snow persona, even despite the similarities he shares with that character. The rest of the cast is also phenominal, but it’s Vikander that reigns supreme here.

As nuanced and well-paced as the story is, however, there are times when it falls into pockets of predictability that plague other films of the romance genre. Information is relayed that would lead you to believe that a character will be safe, even though that you know that that’s never the case, which it isn’t. Regardless, it’s Vikander’s performance and the strength and journey of Brittain that makes the more obvious moments far more emotional than they have any right to be. While based on Brittain’s memoirs of the same name, the film’s title is perfect, highlighting the good and bad aspects of the doggedness of young men and woman to do what they believe is right that is constant throughout the film.

The film not is not only performed and written amazingly, it’s visual style and direction are peerless. It’s bleak cinematography works best at both the film’s brighter and darker moments, appearing lifeless and desperate in one scene to appearing practically dreamlike in the next. The film also incorporates extended shots that the actors feel comfortable with, and it only helps accentuate the already brilliant performances. It’s a true experience that really lets the audience breath in the horrors of war without it being too sickly like last year’s Fury, despite the fact that this film is PG-13 (and the makeup on those wounds… just wow!).

Perhaps if you were looking for a vastly original and unpredictable take on romance and anti-war films, this might not be your cup of tea, but if you want to see some of the best acting of the year coupled with stunning visuals that not even Mad Max could replicate, then flock to the nearest theater that’s playing this, because this is gold. Both Vikander and Harrington deserve more and better than what they have now, and they sure picked one hell of a vehicle to jumpstart what should be a pair of dazzling careers.

Final Verdict:

Maybe with the exception of Fruitvale Stations (which, while unmentioned, I would say is an honorable mention of 2013), the other Sundance Film Festival Best Picture winners that I’ve seen always ranked very high on my end of the year “Best Of” lists, from 2012’s Beasts of the Southern Wild to last year’s Whiplash (which is currently now one of my favorite films of all time period). With Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl being the latest winner from the festival, I have to say that the judges for that festival have some of the best tastes.

Perhaps the acting isn’t overly stellar like some films I’ve seen this year, but it probably has the best written characters I’ve seen all year. Thomas Mann all but flew under my radar this year with Welcome to Me, but he strikes a grand slam here as Greg, the self-loathing filmmaker who becomes the unwitting friend of leukemia-stricken Rachel, played by Olivia Cooke, who shares a ton of chemistry with her main man. Greg’s colleague Earl (played hilariously by RJ Cyler) serves as the down-to-earth and perhaps overly-confident counterpart to Greg, and their on-screen presence is as strong, if not, stronger than the one that Mann shares with Cooke. Nick Offerman plays the nearly-unrecognizable obscure-foodie and art-film connoisseur/hipster father of Greg, and it’s a huge departure from the performances he gave in Parks and Recreation and The Kings of Summer, and Molly Shannon a lovely as Rachel’s supportive and emotional mother.

The writing in this film is beautifully non-conventional, especially since it’s written by the author whose book this film based itself on. There is a noticeably familiar narrative that will reel in more conventional viewers, but the script upends it and its familiar tropes at nearly every turn, either through complete absurdity or a stunning splash of realism. Greg serves as a great unreliable narrator that helps accentuate the comedy and keep things as unpredictable as he possibly can, as well as proving to be a likable and relatable lead despite his pessimism. Each of the characters is extremely quirky in each of their own unique ways, so even with as offbeat as their personalities are, they gel together very well, and you easily buy it. The progression of their relationship feels entirely natural, and you can feel why certain characters say, do, and think certain things when they reach their darkest moments, and it’s refreshing to see that the story doesn’t have to use Nicolas Sparks levels of contrivance to wring emotion out of its audience.

However, the one thing that lifts it to seemingly impossible heights of sublimity and cathartic power is the direction and visual style. To call director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon a Wes Anderson copycat might not be entirely unfounded, but it’s clear that Rejon inspires himself greatly from Anderson, and the two clearly share one thing in common: an intense love of cinema. Filmmakers such as Werner Herzog and François Truffaut are oft referenced, and the way the film presents the parodies/shorts that Greg and Earl make give the impression that despite how forced the joke each film is supposed to be, there is a lot of sincerity and undeniable creativity to them. There are several long takes where the camera sits idly and lets us observe our three kindred spirits interacting with each other, and they provide some of the most intense scenes any film has had to offer this year. It’s a film about the sacrifices and choices we make to ensure the happiness of ourselves and the others around us, and it’s highlighted in every solitary frame, from the film’s odd beginning to its positively tearful ending (and I mean it, this movie brought me to crying, it’s that good).

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl just floored me in virtually every aspect. It’s characters and the actors playing them are beautifully off-key, the writing is real and grabbing, and the direction is without a doubt the most assured and skillful out of any film I have seen this year. It’s a truly emotional roller coaster that feels exactly like riding one, and is just as enjoyable, but this is easily a film that will linger on for far longer than most will be able to for me this year, and I feel all the better for it.

Final Verdict:

It’s probably no surprise that Pixar has taken a bit of a downturn in the past five years. After Toy Story 3, they just didn’t seem to hit the high notes that they used to back in their heyday. Cars 2 earned a rotten score on Rotten Tomatoes, Brave polarized critics and fans and received a controversial Oscar win over the superior Wreck-It Ralph, and Monsters University was quickly swept under the rug by fans, critics, and the Academy alike. After two years to get their act back together, Pixar finally comes out with their much awaited Inside Out, and to say the wait was worth it is only putting it very mildly.

Despite such a star-studded celebrity cast, this film is amazingly cast. Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, and Lewis black were born to personify Joy, Sadness, and Anger, while Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling slip into their roles of Fear and Disgust with effortlessness. All of them play tremendously off each other as they should, and they reach surprising ranges that help make them feel more like tangible beings. What’s also amazing is how prevalent and genuine the real-life drama of Riley (the girl in whom the focal emotions have their story) is, even with the sheer creativity going on in the minds of her, as well as her supporting mother and father.

There was no doubt in my mind that this film was going to be one of the most original films I’ve ever seen, and it should very well be on the fast-track to an Original Screenplay nomination at the next Oscars. Going into this film, I knew two things needed to happen to make this story work: the colorful adventures and episodes going on in Riley’s head had to accurately motivate her feelings and actions, along with Riley’s story being as strong, if not stronger than the one being told in her head. Inside Out excels at both. There are so many things to this film that seem lively and bright inside Riley’s mind, and when you see how they actually come out in the real world, you’ll be amazed over how brilliantly simple and creative it all is. Riley’s own story is very strong for a kid’s film, not resorting to pandering down to the smaller tykes while not overshooting by aiming to an older and more mature crowd. It’s a film that kids and parents alike can easily understand and relate to, allowing both to learn about the necessity of exercising both positive and negative emotions in ways that not even adults would ever think about.

And who would think that a kid’s film about emotions could also be this insanely thought-provoking and ingenious? A great running gag involves a chewing gum jingle, and while it works in the context of the world of Riley’s mind, it also serves as a perfect analogy for how the most arbitrary bits of knowledge end up resurfacing in the most random ways. Other great ideas include the wall of abstract thought, dream productions (if not a little disturbing), and the core memory islands that provide the basis of our favorite things and people. It sounds weird in theory, but it makes complete sense on screen. With everything that goes onscreen, it’s a film that I honestly would be content to see continue for another hour or two, only to be brought back under the sudden realization that the film was drawing to a close. At no fault of its own, Inside Out’s end came too suddenly and it broke my heart to see the credits roll.

I laughed (hard and oft), I came close to tears, and I love, love, loved every second of Inside Out. It’s cast is beyond perfection, it’s one of the most stunningly brilliant movies in recent memory, and is a glorious return to form for Pixar, who have not only made their best film since Toy Story 3, but even perhaps since Finding Nemo. Anyone who believes that children/family films are inherently inferior to the PG-13 and R rated ones should point them in the direction of this one. Anything less than a total reversal of such an opinion would simply be a flat out lie.

Final Verdict:

Other films on my plate may include Dope and hopefully Dil Dhadakne Do, but sooner than later, I will be trying to catch up on some of 2015's releases that I missed in theaters... including the January releases.

*shudders*