Toy Story 3

The Toy Story trilogy bears parallels to The Godfather trilogy and the original Star Wars trilogy. The first installment was a phenomenon, the second was very arguably better than the first, and the third is the weakest in its group but only because it’s a very good film amongst greats. It might not necessarily bring too much new to the table, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a worthy entry.

This movie exists primarily for its conclusion. Pixar is known for character depth and strong emotional ties, but never before have they gone to the level that they do here. Then again, never before have they developed characters over the course of two films, let alone three. The fact that these stories correlate with the maturation of a young boy makes them unlike any other animated franchise, or probably any franchise for that matter. The sequels are not simply set up and motivated by plot but by the characters.

This is a coming of age story about the episodes of life. For toys that means a greater distance between them and their owners. Woody’s issue of being replaced by Buzz in the first episode suddenly seems very mild. From the beginning, it’s established that the tone is darker with the realization that many of our beloved supporting plastic cast members are no longer members of Andy’s toy chest. In a scene near the end, that ominous tone reaches a point so intense that dare I say it’s the most memorable and powerful moment in the entire series.

The downsides to this film include the plotline being undeniably recycled from Toy Story 2, just simply adapted to fit a new scenario. You’ll notice parallels with some new characters to older characters. Many of the interest hooking mishaps come as no surprise and feel as if they more or less are inserted to create a story as opposed to being driven by characters and circumstances as they were in previous episodes. Many of the same emotions from Toy Story 2 recur in this one. The main one being the need for these toys to always be loved by an owner and the temptation to give in to a less valuable but more permanent substitute. Formerly, it involved Woody becoming a collector’s item. This time it involves the group searching for belonging within the context of a day care hierarchy.

But alas, the tricks this movie employs still work, even if they don’t have the same charm as before. The filmmakers found an incredible way to wrap up the material. To describe it as moving is not enough. The depth that this denouement goes to is iconic. It may not have the same literary clout as more recent Pixar films, but the emotions carry it through.

Cyrus

The beauty of Cyrus is its ability to take a premise that has been achieved before in more contrived and artificial manners and give it a sense of verisimilitude. The laughs are not necessarily "roll on the floor" kind of laughs because they are not set up in the way most movies set them up. They are fused with real development and real emotion.

The actors will be recognized most for selling their small scale reactions and intriguing us in the process but the Duplass brothers deserve ample credit for their style which provides an allowance for improvisational responses. Rather than just create an outline though, they write a full script then allow for the improv to compliment it. Given their previous work, and now this little gem, their method seems to work very well as their writing lays down the foundation of the characters and their development but is still open to input that will enhance the realism.

This movie is all about the normal American. It's focus is not on the drama but on the lack of it. It considers the desire and need for comfort, enjoyment, and uninterrupted companionship in those moments between all the points of stress. Each character has their path that makes them happy and the conflict simply comes along when they are held back from that path. It's appropriate for that is the way of life for the average person and films are not usually about truly average sort of people, just about those with average lives. The characters struggled but they dealt the way we all deal and gave off the impression that they wanted to enjoy life and did everything in their power to do so.

Fascinatingly and oddly enough, the film could also be described in a manner contrary than what I have already done. For there is drama and it is dealt with in extremes at times. The story ultimately becomes one major stress point as the characters deal with their conflicts in a complicated manner. What's important though is that we don't come away from the experience feeling that anything has been complicated or dramatized for our sake. Yet, I would hardly call it slice of life for it's not that clean. It's more like a bulging lump that got craftily sculpted into something wonderfully aesthetic. The structure is tidy enough but only because we deem it so, just as we do with all memorable events.

I hope and anticipate the Duplass brothers to one day be a force to be reckoned with but only if they avoid seeing themselves as such. They are character-centric not only in their writing but in the way they direct their films. The storyline in Cyrus was relatively simple, but one day these guys will take their methods and stumble upon a story where the stakes are much higher and when they do it will indeed be something grand.