“Turning Red” (2022) Review
Written by Victor DeBonis
“Turning Red” is a terrific directorial feature debut from Domee Shi. She brings something with such a different vibe and feel from other Pixar films prior to this one. This film is edited so tightly with a solid number of crash zooms and quick cuts that match this film’s comedic timing to such a wonderful degree. It honestly reminded me of Edgar Wright’s movies in this sense, and anyone who has read my reviews in the past knows that this film is already off to a great start if it’s doing that. Plenty of the comedic scenes carry this confidence with its style, but it also knows when to let an emotional moment or conversation sink in without tossing in an unneeded zinger out of fear of losing its audience’s attention.
The animation is once again amazing, but, again, it feels different with how this movie is animated. What I mean by that is that Shi clearly is influenced by a bunch of anime, and you can tell from the shivering pupils of characters in comedically heartfelt bits to the bloated tears spilling from people’s eyes that have to be influenced by the way that Miyazaki’s characters cry. It only heightens the energy and unique vibe of this film, and it further develops the personality of the main character’s hometown of Toronto. The streets and neighborhoods of this town are small, but they shine with personality, and the viewer can instantly gain a solid idea of what this part of the place is like after a few scenes.
As someone who grew up in the 90’s and early ‘00’s, I found it neat to see teenagers using CD’s and discussing pop music and wearing the clothing that one found common from the early 2000’s. For as much as rock is my main musical genre that I love wholeheartedly, there was a time when I collected several pop CD’s as a kid, and, every now and then, I still listen to a fair number of pop songs from this era, mainly for nostalgic purposes. So, I was rather satisfied with how well it captured this era and how full of life the background made everything else feel.
Rosalie Chiang and Sandra Oh are both excellent as the main character/daughter, Mei Lee, and mother of the movie, Ming Lee, respectively, and they provide great comedic chops to their roles while also selling their dramatic scenes. And, their relationship with each other is truthfully what elevates this movie from being good to great. True, the overly protective mother isn’t exactly new territory to movies or shows. However, part of the reason that the writing of this movie works as well as it does is that it doesn’t allow this side to overstay its welcome. It’s done in a way that acknowledges that, without giving much too away, there is some insecurity behind it, and it never gets to the point that the mother is seen cliched or annoying.
On top of that, these two characters have a believable and moving relationship with each other. They match each other’s reactions to scenarios to a tee, and they love commenting on Chinese television dramas together as though the characters in that show are real. There’s barely a scene in which Mei sulks at her mother or shakes her head at embarrassment in her.
There are times when she’s frustrated or inadvertently humiliated by her, but, even through the more uncomfortable scenarios that either Mei (or her mother) experiences, the movie provides a solid understanding that she is trying to find a balance between making her mother happy but also doing what will make herself satisfied for what’s ahead. “Turning Red” invested me so much that I had such an appreciation for most of the characters, whether it was Mei’s soft-spoken but caring Dad or her small circle of friends (including a Daria-esque cynic and a girl whose opinions practically explode from her mouth) who show their loyalty to her in some funny and moving ways.
I also loved the grandmother in this movie (voiced well by Wai Ching Ho). I admired her intensity and firmness and the idea that, as soon as she steps into the story, it’s clear without being spelled out what a strong effect she had on her daughter. The grandmother’s presence is so interesting that, if I had to nitpick any further points about this movie, it’s that I wanted to hear more about her backstory as well.
Such great themes are explored in this movie, such as motherhood and trying to determine what to do for one’s legacy and finding peace for one’s self in deciding whether to follow others’ expectations and not. And, all of it is done with the right amount of heart and comedic charm but also flourishing with so much creativity. The climax itself is easily one of my favorites from Pixar. It honors a specific type of genre of movies that come to mind in such a hilarious way, but it also resonates with how simultaneously big and poignant it is. I wouldn’t be surprised if others, especially those who are close to their mothers, teared up while watching it.
“Turning Red” is such a fresh, unique, and satisfying narrative from Pixar, and I hope to see more films, such as this, in the future from this studio. Not every great movie needs to have the world’s existence in the balance, and I love how this film did something that felt more personal to a newer filmmaker and how it honored her roots and vision with great results. This movie touches upon familiar territory from a few other films centering around motherhood, and a few scenes are not bad but ones that I could see from a mile away. Yet, it’s still done with writing that knows how to let a character’s troubles speak more for itself and still maintain plenty of humor and light-hearted fun to go around.This film poofs into one interesting, heartfelt story that others should definitely check out.
Grade: A-