Compared to the talking toys of Toy Story or the separated father-and-son fish adventure in Finding Nemo, Pixar's latest movie is a colossus of a concept.
Set in the mind of an 11-year-old girl called Riley, it is terrain that would give many therapists a headache. The main characters of Inside Out – Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness – are all emotions that live within the youngster's head.
"When I read it – and I think of myself as an imaginative person – I didn't understand it at all," says Mindy Kaling, the star of TV hits The Mindy Project and The Office, who voices the character of Disgust.
She's not the only one. Conceived and co-directed by Pete Docter, the brains behind Pixar's Oscar-winning 2009 film Up, it took a long time before even his colleagues began to get it.
“The first year, as I would explain it to people, it was really split down the middle,” he says. “Fifty per cent of people would go: ‘Oh, cool!’ And the other half, you could see it in their eyes … they’d be going: ‘Are you crazy?’ People either got it immediately or they didn’t get it at all.”
It’s understandable, given the task of visualising the workings of the mind, rather than the physical brain itself.
“The fun thing with that is, we can go to abstract thought or the subconscious, which for me are much more interesting, as an animation guy,” says Docter.
The result is like a hallucinogenic playground, housing areas such as Personality Islands (which store all of Riley’s character traits) and the offbeat Imagination Land, all linked by the high-speed Train of Thought.
The story kicks off when Riley’s parents move from an idyllic rural home to San Francisco, a traumatic moment that sends her interior world into meltdown. Docter was partly inspired by his own daughter, Elie.
“She was about 11 at the time when we were working on it, and going through a definite change, as we all do.” All of a sudden, she became more insular, he says.
“It made him wonder – what is going on inside this little girl’s head?” says Docter’s co-director Ronnie del Carmen.
Docter realised that the emotional tumult youngsters must contend with was fertile ground to explore.
“I pitched a very basic scenario of a kid about to raise her hand in school and then gave voice to the inner struggle – the characters are going: ‘We know the answer!’ and then Fear is going: ‘What are you crazy? Did you see the way they judged that last kid when they got it wrong?! We’re not answering!’”
Kaling, like most of us, has been there and can identify with this conflict. “I’ve definitely felt that vulnerability,” she says.
It's this inner turmoil that gives Inside Out its drama, as Digust, Joy and their fellow emotions try to resolve the situation.
“Pete kept reminding us that each of the emotions are trying to do what’s best for Riley,” says Kaling, who was joined by a host of American comic stars to bring the characters to life.
Parks and Recreation star Amy Poehler is Joy, stand-up comedian Lewis Black is Anger, funnyman Bill Hader plays Fear and Phyllis Smith, Kaling's co-star on the The Office, voiced Sadness.
Since the film premiered in Cannes to ecstatic reviews, it has become one of the biggest hits of the summer. Grossing US$600 million (Dh220m) around the world in less than two weeks, it is the seventh Pixar movie to cross that box-office barrier – though it has some way to go to stand a chance of eclipsing the studio's $1 billion (Dh367bn) top-earner, Toy Story 3.
“Our hopes are always for our stories to do well, to find an audience,” says Del Carmen.
But perhaps Kaling puts it best: "Pixar is like Star Wars, right? Everybody is a fan and everyone has seen them all! When there's a new Pixar movie, you just go and see it."
• Inside Out opens in UAE cinemas today.
artslife@thenational.ae
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S24%20ULTRA
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Ashes 2019 schedule
August 1-5: First Test, Edgbaston
August 14-18: Second Test, Lord's
August 22-26: Third Test, Headingley
September 4-8: Fourth Test, Old Trafford
September 12-16: Fifth Test, Oval
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
ENGLAND SQUAD
Joe Root (captain), Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Dan Lawrence, Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Ben Foakes (wicketkeeper), Moeen Ali, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad
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Scoreline
Liverpool 4
Oxlade-Chamberlain 9', Firmino 59', Mane 61', Salah 68'
Manchester City 3
Sane 40', Bernardo Silva 84', Gundogan 90' 1
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP
Group A
Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA
Group B
Uruguay
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Group C
Belarus
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Senegal
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Group D
Brazil
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Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
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Scores
Bournemouth 0-4 Liverpool
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Saturday fixtures:
Chelsea v Manchester City, 9.30pm (UAE)
Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur, 11.45pm (UAE)
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Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Mica
Director: Ismael Ferroukhi
Stars: Zakaria Inan, Sabrina Ouazani
3 stars
War and the virus
Simon Rushton: War vet raises £12m for health workers
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Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
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- India: Kirti Azad, Navjot Sidhu and Gautam Gambhir (rumoured)
- Pakistan: Imran Khan and Shahid Afridi (rumoured)
- Sri Lanka: Arjuna Ranatunga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan (rumoured)
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Kareem Shaheen on Canada
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
