What is "Elio," the latest production from Pixar, worth?

Elio, a dreamy 11-year-old boy with a passion for space, struggles to find his place on Earth. But his life changes when he is mysteriously teleported to the Communiverse—an intergalactic organization bringing together representatives from distant galaxies. Mistaken for Earth's official ambassador, he finds himself thrust into a perilous mission with Glordon, an endearing alien…

The release of a Pixar film is always an event. But let's not prolong the suspense: Elio , despite its qualities, does not have the makings of a classic like Toy Story , Wall-E or Inside Out .

Minimalist plot but accomplished

However, this does not prevent it from being a very good family entertainment, full of values ​​and embellished with a pleasant little space trip in the company of an orphaned boy, who thinks that his aunt who adopted him, although loving, does not appreciate him. During his journey, which we would have liked to be more eventful and rich in action scenes, like The Incredibles , friendship and the importance of being united in the face of adversity predominate. As for the plot, it is minimalist since it mainly consists of thwarting the plans of a belligerent alien who wants to conquer the galaxy... A villain who is not so bad since he will mainly seek to find his son, the kind Glordon who will ally himself with Elio... Technically, as one would expect with Pixar, the rendering is accomplished. We note an inspired artistic direction, aliens with a worked design and a use of stereoscopic 3D that is both simple and effective. The trio of directors (whose members had worked on Red Alert and Coco ) does not seek to multiply gratuitous effects, but to go to the essential. All the symbol of this fresh animated film, calibrated in its emotions and cut to make you smile at the beginning of summer. C. Cop.

BY MADELINE SHARAFIAN, DOMEE sHI AND ADRIAN MOLINA (United States). Animation. 1h39. Our rating: 3/5.

Pete Docter and Mary Alice Drum: "Reflecting the insecurity of being 11"

Director of "Monsters, Inc.," "Up," "Inside Out," and "Soul," Pete Docter has become the driving force behind Pixar, where he serves as chief creative officer. Along with producer Mary Alice Drum, he discusses the creation of "Elio," which centers on a child's desire to explore space and aliens.

Originality

While Pixar regularly releases sequels to hits like "Cars" and "Toy Story," the American company often enjoys launching a new franchise. In both cases, the approach remains the same. "Our goal is to always offer originality. This strategy responds to audience demand for new stories while capitalizing on the appeal of established franchises, which guarantee strong attendance in theaters. However, the heart of the method lies in the characters," explains Pete Docter, recalling that for "Elio," the starting point was the idea of ​​one of the directors, Adrienne Molina: "She suggested this boy's encounter with aliens, wanting to explore through this subject the loneliness and insecurity that one can feel at 11 years old. The development of the character, his fears, his desires, his motivations are constantly intertwined with the plot."

Solitude

Pixar grounds its stories in universal emotional truths through rigorous research. Pete Docter mentions the importance of consulting experts, such as Dr. Vivek Murthy, whose work on loneliness inspired "Elio": "He had published an analysis on the loneliness epidemic, saying that it had a real impact on people's health. This research helped give emotional resonance to this boy's sense of isolation, who struggles with insecurity." Mary Alice Drum adds: "The team also collaborated with psychologists to understand how children cope with grief, particularly in the prologue where we see Elio scarred by the loss of his parents. This process, which took place throughout the writing of the different drafts of the script, aims to find the right tone to move audiences, especially young ones, without being too heavy."

Technology

"It's something that's constantly evolving. It's always in service of the story," Pete Docter simply states, before his collaborator adds: "The technical team works closely with the creatives, integrating advances like real-time lighting to improve visual accuracy from the earliest stages. In "Elio," the aliens' visual universe is inspired by bioluminescent sea creatures and macro photography, creating unique designs, far from anthropomorphic stereotypes." On the use of stereoscopic 3D, she specifies: "We believe this is one of the best 3D films we've made. This technology, although complex, is imagined in tandem with the 2D version by an experienced technical team, making the process fluid and focused on enriching the narrative experience."