Movie Review: Elio

When I review a movie I try to take it into consideration on its own merits. There’s usually little point in trying to compare a slapstick comedy to a piece of experimental arthouse cinema. Sure, I’ll look for adventurous filmmaking wherever I can, but in my eyes it’s worth taking into account exactly what it is that any given movie is trying to accomplish as opposed to some hard and fast rule about what counts as “cinema”. So, even though Pixar Animation Studios has earned itself a reputation for creating some of the most bold and interesting films of modern times, I still went into their latest, Elio, understanding that first and foremost this is a movie that is meant to entertain a young audience and while some of their prior output has proven that setting out to do so doesn’t mean a movie can’t also be sophisticated, that is still likely to be more of a secondary aim. Unfortunately, if the children I shared a theater with this weekend are any indication, they haven’t done an exceptional job on either front this time out.

Elio (Yonas Kibreab) is struggling to adapt to life with his aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña) following the death of his parents. Preferring to escape into fantasies about being taken into outer space by alien beings instead of dealing with life here on Earth, his behavior is getting him into deeper and deeper trouble. When he actually is abducted by benevolent extraterrestrials he is elated and does nothing to dissuade their notion that he is Earth’s leader so that he might be allowed to stay with them.

Just before the beings can initiate him into their order however, they are threatened by the militant Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett) and prepare to make a hasty retreat, leaving Elio back on Earth. He convinces them that he can sway Grigon to leave them in peace and is sent to his ship to negotiate, where he encounters Grigon’s son Glordon (Remy Edgerly). The two discover that they both share much in common, having long felt alone in the universe, and quickly become friends, but if their relationship is to last they will first have to convince Grigon to call off his forces.

It’s a sweet story with great messages about self-acceptance and the power of friendship, but it suffers from the sort of janky pacing that indicates a troubled development (the 8 writers credited would also support this theory). As usual for a Pixar film, there are some gorgeous visuals here, and the variety of aliens display some refreshingly creative designs, but so much of the story beats feel underdeveloped and surprisingly dull that it’s hard not to begin losing interest. Things pick up in the finale when the movie takes on the feel of a 1980s Spielbergian adventure, but even that feels a little lazily handled, sometimes glossing over what feel like key moments.

The voice cast do excellent work, selling the material as best as they can, and it’s entirely to their credit that the heavier emotional beats work at all. Pixar movies are known to squeeze at least a tear or two out of audiences and this is no exception, even if it doesn’t leave the lasting impression of some of the studio’s masterpieces. There are some good ideas here and moments that do work, so it’s a shame that it doesn’t gel into a more satisfying whole. While there is unfortunately little here for adults, most kids should find the movie entertaining enough, though some did start getting restless at times during my showing. Like a nicely plated but mediocre meal that is finished off with a tasty dessert, you’ll probably walk away from Elio in a happy enough mood, but you’ll still wish that the entire experience had been more enjoyable. ★★½