Soul is Pixar’s most ambitious film to date. It takes the confusing concept of life and death and explains it in a simplistic way that is easy to understand. It follows the life of Joe Gardener (Jamie Foxx), a music teacher who’s only passion in life is jazz. The day he finally gets his big break also happens to be the day he falls down a manhole and dies. He travels to the Great before (where all Souls start out) and realises his only way back is to mentor Soul #22 (Tina Fey) – a stubborn Soul who refuses to embrace the concept of life and therefore does not wish to find her ‘spark’. They embark on a journey together to discover what it truly means to have a soul. The way places and ideas such as before and after life, as well as lost souls and ‘the zone’ are visualised and explained is fantastically executed in a way that children can comprehend. As well as this, the way the film’s animated is captivating- a personal highlight is how the Geri’s are animated using 2D design instead of the rest of the films 3D design which really makes them stand out. The music is purely breath-taking. Jazz is incorporated into not only the score and soundtrack, but it is crucial it is to Joe’s character and the plot.
My biggest (and one of my only) criticism for the film is how it jumps from New York City to the Great Beyond too quickly, and it almost feels like two different stories in how different it seems. However, another thing to take note is that this film is made for a far more mature audience than Pixar’s previous demographic, and this is by far their most profound film. It can still be enjoyed by young children and families, but it is the strong messages and extremely heartfelt themes of the film that will leave more observant viewers questioning (much like Joe) their own purpose and soul. Overall, this is easily the best film I have seen all year and a new, exciting direction for Pixar as they continue to break the boundaries of animation. I feel this film is exactly what the world needs after the year we have had, and I cannot recommend this film enough.
