Movie releases. "Elio": what's this new Pixar animated film about the stars worth?

A child, his feet stuck in a world that's too narrow. And then, one day, the sky opens: here he is, in the space of his dreams. Up there, in a fluid and vibrant cosmos, full of bright hues and rounded shapes, he is welcomed like the Messiah. It's paradise far from here. Teleported to the heart of the Communiverse—a vast galactic assembly where planets listen to one another instead of ignoring one another—Elio discovers a cosmic brotherhood that mirrors our earthly utopias: a stellar version of the United Nations, with its wise men, its extravagants, and its forgotten beings.

There, among the strange and benevolent creatures, Elio becomes "ambassador of the Earth." An improvised title, a light but precious burden. He meets Glordon, a worm-like creature with lunar charm, also marginalized, tender and clumsy, the cartoonish little brother of the (real) terrestrial tardigrade: a tiny creature, invisible to the naked eye, capable of cryptobiosis, that is, emptying itself of its water, becoming inert for decades, to be reborn one day. Suspending life to survive - a beautiful model metaphor for wounded children.

“At the beginning of the film, Elio is very pessimistic about Earth; it's a very dangerous mindset we all risk slipping into,” Madeline Sharafian reminds us. And this thought resonates, both gentle and serious. Because who hasn't felt like an outsider? But here, among the stars, Elio finds an answer. “He feels like he's found his people and his place,” says Domee Shi. And we, the audience, believe it with him, amidst all these species, all these planets, all these differences united in harmony. It's a tender, salutary message, like a soft light in the morning.

The film captures the classic themes of childhood and coming-of-age stories—loss, loneliness, family, friendship, self-acceptance. It's common and generic, but it touches on them delicately, without pushing too hard, like running a hand over the shoulder of a beloved child. Visually, Pixar creates a lively feast: the colors sing, the curves dance, and then there's Glordon... Round, squat, eyeless, part plush, part miracle, rustic yet sophisticated. He alone sums up the universe: seemingly fragile, yet surprisingly resilient.

Elio by Domee Shi, Madeline Sharafian and Adrian Molina, in theaters this Wednesday, June 18. Running time: 1 hour 39 minutes.