#phyliciarashad

I picture a family getting together to watch Soul and midway through the kids turning around and pausing the film to ask their parents “Are you ok?” There’s plenty of humor and bright colors to keep young ones entertained but adults will get the most out of this film. Its themes of personalities, passion, and true callings are the kind of topics that shatter you into a thousand pieces as you simultaneously realize how little you’ve done with your life and the beauty of all you’ve accomplished.

In New York, middle school music teacher Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx) has just impressed jazz legend Dorothea Williams (Angela Basset) and is about to perform with her band later that night. Suddenly, he falls down a manhole and awakens in the “Great Beyond”. Not wanting to go into the light, he gets off the path and lands in the “Great Before”, where souls develop their personalities before going to Earth. There, he strikes a bargain with “22” (Tina Fey), a cynical soul who hasn’t found the spark necessary to go on in centuries. He’ll help 22 in exchange for their pass to Earth.

I knew from the trailers that Joe was going to fall into a manhole and become a disembodied soul but every cell in my body was screaming for Joe to somehow just get the suit he needed and nail that show. I’ve never considered myself a fan of jazz but hearing him talk about the music and seeing him play it made me care. I cared about it more than anything. In many animated films (practically all of them since 1992's Aladdin), we’ve had celebrity voices cast so their recognizable names can be on the poster. Not here. I forgot about Jamie Foxx entirely. I only saw Joe.

As the pair search for the one thing that will become 22’s spark, the film reveals its bigger themes. Initially, this movie is about music. Specifically, jazz. You see the fingers on the keyboard, hear the way improvised tunes craft a once-in-a-lifetime melody that can never quite be duplicated, the way memories and feelings - two intangibles - birth harmonies whose true meaning anyone can recognize. Beneath is an exploration of what makes life worth living. The story contains very Black experiences: the barbershop get-togethers, the interactions with Joe, his mother (Phylicia Rashad), and the old ladies that have seen him grow, etc. It is also universal. When Joe shows 22 his spark, you're reminded of what yours is. This leads to an avalanche of thoughts. Are you where you dreamed you’d be now? On your way there? Is it still in the faraway distance? Is what you think you want really what you want?

All that would be more than enough to make Soul one of the best movies of the year but it even goes further with its visuals. I particularly enjoyed the administrators of the world beyond ours, all of which are a single line bent and twisted to form humanoid shapes. I simply sat back, admiring the technique of creating real characters out of so little. Everything that surrounds them is great too. The characters have so much personality in their bodies, hair, and faces. They're as believable as live actors. The colours used are dazzling. The backgrounds and New York environments lavish. You can feel the city and its people in every frame.

Soul is heartfelt and inspiring, it’s ambitious and passionate. It’s also funny, with a terrific soundtrack. It’s what you wish every movie was and when you see it, stay all the way until the end of the credits. (January 9, 2021)

Pixar has carved out a very distinct niche for themselves in the animation world... not only have they pushed the boundaries in terms of looks, but they are not afraid to deal with heavier topics.  Soul is a perfect example of these things in motion, as they have not only once again upped the ante for animation quality, but have graduated from dealing with emotion to dealing with death and the afterlife.  For all of the movies that debuted on Christmas of 2020, Soul stands out as the leader of the pack.

Middle school music teacher and aspiring jazz pianist Joe Gardenr (Jamie Foxx) has hit a point in life where he is feeling depressed and unfulfilled.  His mother Libba (Phylicia Rashad) does not support his dreams, and the rut of teaching thankless kids is wearing on him, but with the help of former student Curley (Questlove), Joe is given the opportunity to audition for a spot in famed jazz saxophonist’s Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett), and in a moment of inspiration, Joe nails the audition.  In a cruel twist of fate, however, Joe falls down an open manhole and is killed, leading him to a journey in the Great Before where he must help 22 (Tina Fey), a soul disenchanted about living on Earth, to find purpose in the form of a new human to occupy.

For a kid’s film, Soul definitely addresses some heavy, esoteric topics, but handles them with a level of kid gloves that is not too jarring or depressing for a young mind.  Surprisingly, there is also enough depth in this handling to keep adults not only interested, but introspective after the fact.  Soul is an observant film that not only teaches you the value of your own life, but the value of the lives of those around you as well.  The attempt to try and provide an understanding and reason behind the existence of purpose is also a driving force of the narrative, making Soul possibly the most emotionally fulfilling piece of entertainment presented in 2020.

Concepts like alchemy, thin places, transcendental meditation, quantum physics, astral projection and more are laid out on the table in a very “explain it to me like I’m five” nature, which makes them easier to digest for young, developing minds.  Much like a film such as I Heart Huckabees, Soul stands as an ode to universal interconnectedness… films like these are a reminder that no matter how bleak the outlook, or now matter how lost and isolated we feel in this world, we are not alone on our journey.  Joe Gardner, therefore, stands as a role model for the kids who feel as if their passions and talents aren’t important, aren’t worthy, or make them outcasts, and hopefully it will provide them with a sense of self-worth and a drive to follow their dreams if, for no other reason, self-fulfillment.

It’s nearly impossible to talk about a Pixar film without talking about the animation quality, and Soul presents at least 3 distinct animation looks to tell this story.  While the souls and animals look great, the amount of detail in every human on the screen (be they key characters or animated extras) is incredible to the point of being breathtaking.  New York also looks stunning, with its vibrant sense of life, mixed bag of history and cultures and its proud presence all resonating in the same manner as actual real, filmed images of the city.  The pathway to the Afterlife, the Beforelife and space are also given wonderful detail in their visual presentations, making each environment immediately easy to read in terms of emotional tone.  The writing is very strong, with the tender and humorous moments equally balanced and distributed… the Jerrys and Terrys all being British also cracks me up.

Jamie Foxx subdues some of his cocky, confident nature in order to make his character as relatable as he is talented, grounding Joe Gardner in a sense of humility and respect for his craft that is admirable on the highest levels.  Tina Fey indulges in her poetic license to put the humorous pedal to the metal, but not at the expense of being able to portray a real sense of both wonder and hurt at appropriate times.  Angela Bassett brings a mix of dignity and no-nonsense leadership to her role as bandleader, manifesting as one who recognizes talent just as well as all of the baggage that often comes with it, and translating that into a tough but worthy emotional hurdle to overcome.  Graham Norton brings some of the most humorous moments to the table, while the hilarious administrative esoteric hot potato of the After/Beforelife is passed around between Rachel House, Richard Ayoade, Alice Braga, Wes Studi, Fortune Feimster and Zenobia Shroff.  Appearances by Phylicia Rashad, Questlove, Daveed Diggs, Donnell Rawlings, June Squibb, the criminally underrated and mega-talented Cody Chestnutt and more fill out the world of Soul.