Inside Out director Pete Docter explains what inspired the quirky new film and talks about working with star comedian Amy Poehler
She might be the voice of a cartoon but for American comedy star Amy Poehler, Inside Out is her most emotional performance yet. She tells Joanna Hunkin why.
Amy Poehler's cackle echoes through the hallway of a plush Sydney hotel.
Inside the room, a comedy of errors is playing out, much to Poehler's delight - and her publicists' horror.
The petite blonde - currently sporting red locks - has made a seemingly simple request. She would like some chocolate. Milk and dark.
Alas, it appears this very expensive, ultra-luxe establishment is possibly under the management of Basil Fawlty, as a server arrives carrying a glass of milk and a bowl of dark cooking chocolate.
Her minders are in a flap. This is not acceptable. But Poehler is tickled, laughing heartily as she works her way through an endless stream of interviews.
Amy Poeheler stars as Joy in Inside Out.
She's talking about her new film Inside Out - the latest animated adventure from the creative wizards at Pixar. The film, in her words, is "a slapstick workplace comedy" that happens to be set in the mind of an 11-year-old girl.
Poehler plays Joy, Riley's dominant emotion and ringleader to Sadness, Disgust, Fear and Anger.
It's a simple yet profound premise and one that stays with you long after you've left the cinema.
"I love that the story isn't 'a magical dragon lands on her doorstep and she has to change the world'," explains Poehler.
"It's just 'her parents move'. Which is so universal, this idea of change.
"Riley's just like all of us, trying to figure out, 'What am I like? What's my personality?' The stakes of the film are: 'Is Riley going to lose her personality?' Which are major stakes but not one we often see in films because we invent these big external stakes."
The film flies in the face of traditional children's stories, which nearly all centre on the pursuit of happiness and living happily ever after.
Joy in a scene from Inside Out.
"It's why Pixar's so amazing," Poehler says. "They made a film that says it's okay if you're not happy all the time. It's a revolutionary idea. And in fact, sadness might be your friend."
The relationship between Sadness and Joy is one of the central themes of the film, which explores and encourages the idea that you need to experience all emotions to live a full and happy life.
Poehler shares that belief and readily admits she's not the always-perky funny gal that many assume.
"I'm not happy all the time, no one is. That is the theme of the film, that you don't have to be happy all the time. And if you are, you might have a borderline personality disorder. I would say that joy, sadness and anger are equally in control for me."
From the creators of Up and the Toy Story franchise, the film continues Pixar's golden run of making multilayered family entertainment. It is, first and foremost, a colourful, fun, kids' film. But there are deeper messages to unpack if you choose. Which is something Poehler, too, has come to specialise in, earning a reputation for fierce, funny comedy that packs a socially conscious punch.
Her modesty sees her shy away from the comparison, though she will admit she's drawn to that type of comedy. It is the most satisfying, she says. And also the hardest.
"There's nothing more deadly than sitting down in front of the computer and thinking, 'I'm going to write something very important'.
"When I was doing Saturday Night Live you couldn't be like, 'I'm going to write a political sketch that says something and is going to be a classic.' I always try to just come from a funny place.
"I've had opportunities to attempt to say something. But it can be a weird corridor to do comedy from because it really has to just be from a genuine place of, 'Do you think this is funny?' and the rest will follow."
And when it does, she says, it's the best feeling in the world.
"There are some people who hate that kind of stuff. I don't like to do it all the time, sometimes I do just stupid stuff and that's fun too. But it is satisfying to me."
Poehler doesn't just use that ability to entertain. Through her online community, Smart Girls, she entertains and counsels thousands of young girls, boosting their confidence and giving them a platform to express themselves. Their motto: Change the world by being yourself.
What began as an underground web series has become a major online destination, with nearly two million users. In fact, while most adults will know her best for Saturday Night Live or Parks and Recreation, there is an entire generation of young people who know her only from YouTube.
Poehler says she never set out to start a movement. It began simply and organically when her friend Meredith Walker suggested they create a webseries.
"We were like, 'Let's start a webseries, what do we want to do? Maybe we want to do a show that we would have wanted to watch when we were young girls. Okay that's doing well, what else shall we do?'
"It was very small, frankly like most things I do in my career, like UCB [Upright Citizens Brigade] or SNL. Just small little steps and then suddenly you step back and go, 'Oh, this is interesting, people are responding to it.' Now we're creating more content and we have a big online presence."
More importantly, says Poehler, it allows her to connect with another generation of fans.
"I'm constantly inspired by that generation, those young 20s. There's a lot about their experience that I don't recognise, which is so exciting to me. They've grown up in a very different world than I did.
Anger, in a scene from the new animated film Inside Out.
"I have great faith in the future because of the work I see them do and the way they conduct their personal lives, the world view they have.
"Young people are supposed to be very black and white, always and never, they're supposed to really fiercely care and I feel it all the time with the young people I'm around, it's very energising to be around them."
It's equally energising to be around Poehler. There is sense of vivacity and mischief that radiates from her.
The next day, back at the hotel, a publicist is taking lunch orders. Poehler has made a special request. Milk and dark chocolate.
Who: Amy Poehler What:Inside Out, the latest film from Pixar When: Opens today
