I finally got around to watching the latest Disney / Pixar offering Inside Out and from a voice acting perspective, it is the business!
Yes, I am one of those voice over types who listens to commercial radio for the commercials. So when it comes to animated movies, I usually have no idea what is happening as I’m way too busy over-analysing every inflection, expression and tone presented by the respective voice actors.
Not the case with Inside Out. Because of the brilliant voice acting, I got so caught up in the characters and story I completely lost my ability to separate voice from all those other incidental elements!
Inside Out is a world seen through the eyes of 11 year old Riley’s emotions—joy, fear, sadness, anger and disgust.
Can we please discuss how perfectly it was cast? Could there be anyone besides Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler’s Parks and Rec alter-ego) that could convey the emotion ‘joy’ with so much gusto?
And Bill Hader as ‘fear’? The guy who once confessed to full-on panic attacks before his Saturday Night Live appearances brought the emotion to life and then some.
Phyllis Smith’s portrayal of ‘sadness’ in her first ever voice over gig is spot-on. Chosen based on her character in Bad Teacher, she brings so many dimensions to the emotion she really steals the show.
Probably the angriest comedian of all time, Lewis Black, gives us ‘anger’. So good is his delivery that even the shrinks are praising how spot on his portrayal is.
While Mindy Kaling delivers ‘disgust’ with just the right ratio of contempt to bitchy school girl.
I am always fascinated by how these stars deliver these amazing performances and was stoked to come across these behind-the-scenes clips—check ’em out.
mel hulm 