Soul (Review)
Soul Helps to Take the Edge Off an Otherwise Awful Year
As everyone in the world is fully aware, 2020 sucked. It’s been so bad that many of us can count the good things that occurred on one hand (maybe two, if you’re fortunate). For me, one beacon of light in the miserable storm of 2020 is the fact that Pixar released not one, but two movies, both of which earned top 10 spots in my ranking of the studio’s feature-length films. Of course, I had lots of good things to say about Onward when it was released earlier this year. However, I fell in love with their newest movie, Soul. The film offers an extraordinary existential journey filled with thought-provoking insight into the meaning of life and how we find our purpose once we get here. Soul will fill your heart and mind with wonder, and leave a lasting impression that will spark hours of stimulating conversation long after the credits roll.
Pixar has never been a studio to shy away from cerebral concepts in the past. They touched on the idea of the afterlife in 2017’s Coco, but this time they dive into the deep end of the pool with the tale of Joe (Jamie Foxx), an aspiring jazz musician who meets his untimely demise the day of his big break. Finding himself heading towards the great beyond, he attempts to escape his fate and ends up in the great before, where new souls are prepared to depart for Earth. There he meets 22 (Tina Fey), a soul that refuses to leave the great beyond because life seems like a big, lame hassle. Many have tried to whip this rapscallion into shape, but all have failed. Joe though is less interested in being a mentor and more focused on getting back to his body before it’s too late for him to make his dream come true. This perks the little troublemaker’s interest, and she helps Joe for the sake of causing a little trouble. Of course, trouble is exactly what the two get.
It should come as no surprise that Soul was co-directed by Pete Docter since it is very much a spiritual successor to Inside Out (literally). Where Inside Out focused on the psychology of what makes us human, Soul examines the philosophical essence of our very, well, souls. He’s joined by co-director Kemp Powers in his feature debut, who brings insight to the mortal plane that the characters inhabit, which is the black community in New York City. Powers is far from a “diversity hire” but is most likely an aspect of Disney’s brilliant Inclusion Strategy that is working to ensure that their films not only have diversity but also lend authenticity to that diversity. I only mention this aspect of Powers’ inclusion in Soul because of how off-putting it can be when a film is clearly written and directed by white men telling stories that belong to minorities. Powers gives Joe and his world the “soul” it needs in order to connect with audiences, which can be felt throughout the film. One of my favorite scenes takes place in a neighborhood barbershop, where Joe goes to be rescued from a serious clipper mishap before his big gig. The Powers and Docter are a match made in heaven, and I’m looking forward to seeing what both directors have up their sleeves next.
In a lot of ways, Soul is par for the course when it comes to Pixar studios. That might not sound like high praise, but considering it just might be the best animation studio in the industry these days, that’s like saying Soul shot 58 on 18 holes. The animation is absolutely gorgeous, especially when it comes to the lighting on the earthly plane. The same goes for the great beyond and the great before, where everything exists as a “theoretical construct” and the powers of the universe take on one-dimensional forms in order to be more pleasing to the mortal mind. What’s even more pleasing than the delightfully abstract character design is the talent lending their voices to them. Soul features the likes of Richard Ayoade, Alice Braga, and Rachel House as the celestials trying to keep the universe ticking while Joe and 22 run rampant. The entire cast is simply delightful, and their comedic talents added just the right amount of pizzazz to the already brilliant dialogue
Given Joe’s love of music, it makes sense that Soul would invest heavily in its soundtrack. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross compose an ethereal score that creates a rich ambiance for the strange and surreal world that the characters navigate. However, the real treat is the jazz compositions by Jon Batiste. I’ll admit that I was never a huge fan of jazz, but Batiste’s pieces are absolutely hypnotic. They grab ahold of you and sweep you up in the moment to such a degree that it’s easy to see why it’s the secret to Joe’s spark in life. In a lot of ways, the music throughout the film is the glue that holds the story together. Even when Soul ascends into the realm of the metaphysical, it reminds audiences that it is fundamentally a story about what makes us human and the passions that make life liveable.
If there is any downside to Soul, it is how long it takes for it to find its rhythm. The first act is a mad dash to establish the characters and get to the meat of the themes it explores. Once it finds its pace, though, Soul proves to be one of the must-see films of 2020. No matter how complicated the ideas become, Soul makes them accessible and inspires audiences to step back and ponder what purpose really is when it comes to life. Despite the grand questions it raises, Soul never attempts any answers, but instead sets audiences on a path to find their own. Pixar proves once more that they are the best at what they do and continues to set the bar high. Trust them to help take a bit of the sting out of a hellish year and leave me filled with optimism that things will get better.
