I've never committed to a definitive
ranking of the films of Pixar Animation. Perhaps having
relatively few feature titles under their banner made a top ten list
kinda meaningless (although their ever growing roster of memorable characters is always ripe for sorting). Or perhaps the frequently
high caliber of their movies made ranking them a more arbitrary
exercise than ranking movies already is.
But with raves for their fifteenth
feature Inside Out announcing a return to form after a few
years of middling success, now seems like a good time to go on record
as to which gems sparkle the brightest for me personally. Needless to
say, this list is in constant flux and subject to positional shifts
at any time – Probably as soon as I see Inside Out!
But which of the studio's first
fourteen is on the bubble?...
This upcoming Friday, Pixar will release their annual animated feature, Cars 2. While I profess that this new entry in their portfolio has me less than excited, it still seems like an appropriate enough time to celebrate the proficient studio with an edition of my Sunday Top Ten that lists my favourite characters from their wonderful filmography.
Finding Nemo is a film best described with superlatives: of all Pixar films to date, it is the most moving, most resonant, and most sincere, presenting the fears and struggles of parenthood through a funny, touching, and truly original story. Thanks to the meticulous effects animation and production design, it is also the most gorgeous computer-animated movie you're likely to see, relishing in vibrant colours set against an oceanic backdrop of deep pastel blue. Equally as vibrant are the characters, fleshed out by perfectly written dialogue and an exceptional voice cast, boasting standout performances from Albert Brooks and especially Ellen Degeneres. Another important character is the one-of-a-kind music of Thomas Newman, who captures the emotional ebb and flow of the story like no one else could.
All said, Finding Nemo is an unrivaled gem of a movie, the acme of refined and intelligent family entertainment, and quite simply the best animated film of the decade.
BRILLIANT SCORE ALERT:
(For those keeping track, this gives director Andrew Stanton the distinction of being the only film maker with two movies in my top ten of the decade.)
