Will there be a more poignant sequence in movies this year than the one early on in the movie Up that takes Carl and Ellie from their days as young newlyweds to her death? It's a completely wordless sequence, yet it conveys a range of emotions so clearly and powerfully. There's one moment, in particular, that had me in tears, and all of the sequence is beautifully rendered. After you watch that sequence, you know why Carl has to go on the adventure that the movie depicts.
And will there be a more uplifting moment in movies this year that when you see all of those balloons rise from behind the house, lifting it slowly off the ground so that Carl can finally escape the city and begin his journey to Paradise Falls in South America? You know before you enter the theater that the moment is going to happen, but nothing quite prepares you for the beauty of it and sheer audacity of someone like Carl taking this chance to live out a lifelong dream.
At this point, Up is my favorite movie of the year. However, I don't think it's a movie for kids at all. I think only a grown-up can truly appreciate the depth of its characterization. The kids at the screening I attended were very restless, and one even asked to leave early because she was bored. I think her father was enjoying the movie far more than she was. The folks at Pixar made one of my favorite movies of last year, Wall-E, and now they've done it again, but just like with the earlier film, I think Up truly belongs more to those of us who are mature enough to understand the story.
2 comments:
My favorite of the year,too. David went to see it at midnight on the day it released, and his Twitter response was this: "Go see UP."
Being obedient parents, Bob and did just that, a few hours later, to kill a few empty hours in our empty house-not-home, in limbo, waiting for escrow to close and for life to change.
Wow. Right on the mark. That wordless sequence had me blubbering into my popcorn, and when the balloons lifted off, I got a head rush like something that may usually only happen to 4-year-olds.
All that excitement and longing and beauty. I am going to see it again as soon as we put away a few of our things.
I liked the way that very first balloon squeaked...the foreshadowing. Cool.
I think I may go back to see it again too. I saw the 2D version, and I think I might want to try the 3D one next time. Usually, those glasses give me a headache, but I'm curious about how the experience differs.
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