Soul review

SOUL:

LATEST PIXAR FILM IS NOT ONLY A LOVE LETTER TO JAZZ MUSIC BUT ALSO A VERY CLEVER, FUNNY, AND DEEPLY MOVING STORY ABOUT LIFE AND DEATH!  

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

DISNEY/PIXAR

Joe Gardner (human), Joe Gardner (soul), and 22 in Soul

 

            A jazz pianist falls into a sewer hole and wakes up in a realm of souls in Soul, the new film from Pixar Animation Studios following in the tradition of emotional powerhouses such as the Toy Story franchise, Up, Inside Out, and Coco. At this point, Pixar has proven themselves countless times before that they are masters of conjuring up very imaginative and compelling stories with a lot of emotion and heart behind them and Soul is no exception. 

            Originally intended for a June 2020 theatrical release, the film was constantly pushed back due to COVID-19 and Disney reassuring that it will be in theaters in November of that year. But they ultimately decided to cancel the theatrical release and put the film on Disney+ instead which is exactly what they did with other 2020 releases that were originally planned for theaters like Artemis Fowl and Mulan. 

            So, can Pixar give everyone an emotional roller coaster ride in the same vein as Inside Out or Coco and especially after the disappointing results of Onward which was released several months prior? The answer is a very loud and enthusiastic *deep breath* YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

            Soul is an absolutely wonderful film with gorgeous animation, charming characters, and a deeply moving and enriching story. It’s a love letter to jazz music with an emotional kick which makes perfect sense because this film is from the same director as Inside Out, frequent Pixar film director Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc., Up, Inside Out) and just like that movie, it hits your feels in all the right places. 

            The film follows school band teacher Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx-Collateral, Django Unchained, Just Mercy) whose real passion is jazz music and he’s good at it. However, his life takes an unexpected turn when he falls into a sewer hole and ends up in a mysterious realm of souls where he befriends a soul known simply as 22 (voiced by Tina Fey-Mean Girls, 30 Rock, Muppets Most Wanted) and agrees to help her find her passion or “spark” as they call it so she can live on Earth while she helps him return to his body while both of them learn what it really means to have a soul along the way. 

            The film also features the voices of Questlove as Curley, Phylicia Rashad (Creed 1 and 2, Black Box, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey) as Libba Gardner, Daveed Diggs (Ferdinand, Blindspotting, Hamilton) as Paul, Angela Bassett (What’s Love Got to Do with It, Malcolm X, Marvel Cinematic Universe) as Dorothea Williams, Graham Norton (The Graham Norton Show, Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) as Moonwind, Rachel House (Whale Rider, Moana, Thor: Ragnarok) as Terry, Richard Ayoade (Submarine, The Double, The Boxtrolls), Alice Braga (I Am Legend, Repo Men, Predators), Wes Studi (Dances with Wolves, The Last of the Mohicans, Avatar), Fortune Feimster (The Mindy Project, The L Word: Generation Q, Office Christmas Party), and Zenobia Shroff as Jerry, Donnell Rawlings (Chappelle’s Show, The Wire, Black Dynamite) as Dez, June Squibb (Nebraska, Toy Story 4, Godmothered) as Gerel, and Esther Chae (24, ER, The West Wing) as Miho. 

            Overall, Soul is one of the most vibrant and emotionally driven films in Pixar’s catalog that easily ranks among some of the studio’s best work. It embraces jazz music and African American culture in a similar way Disney embraced African American culture with The Princess and the Frog (Also, much like what that movie did for Disney, Soul marks Pixar’s first animated feature film with a black protagonist) on top of brilliant storytelling, strong characters, and a thoughtful and very timely message about living life and enjoying the simple pleasures it offers. 

            The plot can best be described as a more intellectual and mature version of what films like Inside Out and Coco did and feels a little more geared towards older audiences compared to other Pixar films given the subject matter and themes it tackles. It’s an animated family film where the main plot revolves around life and death and Pixar nails the concept beautifully and leaves much of the resolution up to the viewers. 

            Where the film really shines is with the characters and music, Joe is an extremely passionate musician who just wants to live his life to the fullest and become a successful jazz performer and while at times he can be a little self-obsessed it’s never to the point where he becomes unlikable, 22 is a cynical soul who doesn’t see the point in living on Earth but slowly discovers all of Earth’s offerings and finds her spark. However, there is one other co-star in this film aside from Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey and that is the music, OH MY GOD! Never before have I ever wanted a soundtrack to a Pixar movie this much, from the jazz music composed to set the tone of Earth to the psychedelic, otherworldly sounding music for the souls’ world, the choices of music fit each scene perfectly and if this doesn’t get at least an Oscar nomination for Best Original Score I’m going to be very mad. 

            Guys, I can’t recommend this movie enough, Soul has everything I want in a Pixar film and brings to the screen a beautifully animated, funny, and deeply moving and thought-provoking story about making the best out of one’s life and a loving tribute to jazz music to boot. Whether you’re a kid, adult, or have an entire family, Soul is an absolute must-watch that once again proves that Pixar’s magic isn’t going away anytime soon.