Soul

 This review may contain spoilers!

Soul follows middle school teacher, Joe, whose passion for jazz music is almost realised before an accident transports him to a realm between life and death. It is here with the help of an infant soul that Joe must find a way back to Earth and his body; discovering what it means to truly live along the way. This is an extremely carefully crafted narrative that takes the story of someone who is both a mentor and extremely passionate about his ability to play music and it holds a mirror up to what we find important in life through this individual. Soul possesses strength because Joe is someone you can meet but he isn't someone the audience can step into and be, he's a very unique role with a life story that is engineered to show us the truth of this film. That truth is that life is a gift, not a trophy case. People aren't measured by what they achieve, life is to be experienced, enjoyed and loved. Joe is driven by a strong desire to return to his body and 'capture his dream' because he believes it's his purpose. But as Joe becomes obsessed by his goal his makes selfish choices that cost the friends he makes throughout his metaphysical adventures, including 22 - a young soul who has struggled to find a reason to go down to Earth. Once Joe has set aside everything to achieve his goal he realises the dream is a hollow thing, the experience was good but he lost a lot more to attain it. The beauty of seeing Joe redeem himself by guiding 22 to Earth through music and self-sacrifice is this extraordinary character arc that few films can even dream of achieving. This is narrative storytelling often at its very finest; and while it might not be the kid-targetted feature we'd normally see from Disney/Pixar I will say, Sould is going to be an animated feature that will live with me for a very long time. The animation style manages to craft a very diverse and authentic take on urban New York life, with a very abstract and experimental take on the plane of existence in which souls reside. The score for the film is a testament to the jazz music that protagonist so passionately loves, the scene in which he plays his way back into the soul plane is one of the most moving scenes in the entire film.

 

Tina Fey, who voiced 22, is such a fun high-spirited role who is extremely motivated by mischief; I really liked that Fey found 22's personal vulnerabilities and depicted them in such a subtle yet powerful manner. Graham Norton, who voiced Moonwind, was one of the funniest characters in the film; Norton really pushed the boundaries on how zany he was willing to go with this spiritual plane-walker and I think that served his scenes marvellously. Alice Braga, who voiced Counselor Jerry, was perfect as this kindly guide into the metaphysical world of the Great Beyond; Braga has a soothing and thought-provoking manner to how she speaks that is both gentle and extremely wise all at once. Angela Bassett, who voiced Dorothea, is a stern force to be reckoned with at the head of musical performance in this film; Bassett crafts a character who is deeply insightful and runs an extremely tight ship within her band. 

However, the best performance came from Jamie Foxx, who voiced Joe. This is a character who is immediately very grounded and someone you understand as a person. They have a job that is stressful but that he finds passion within, and where he connects with those who want to learn from his passion. I love hearing Foxx discuss his role's love of music and of jazz, you really get this incredible picture of what that sound means to him and how he connects to it within his life. Yet watching as this character spirals out of control and fights to retain his life on Earth is really satisfying to watch. You get to hear Foxx depict the conflict between what he desires and doing what is right by Fey's 22. This is a performance built on careful consideration from what we observe in life and how we can enjoy it, certainly one of the more powerful deliveries from Foxx in recent years.

Soul is a feature I really connected with and it is a story that I think a number of people will get a lot of meaning from as they come to view it, but the nature of how it is presented and who presents it might mean this film struggles to meet expectations. If you're looking for a animated feature that is for kids and adults in equal measure then this probably isn't the film for you. I've never really seen Disney/Pixar do a feature that so squarely will land with more mature audiences than younger ones. I also think the story wants to examine it's very abstract ideas in depth at times, while in other instances undercuts this method of storytelling by doing something goofy like the body swap with Joe, 22 and the cat.

Rachel House, who voiced Terry, is one of the harsher voices in the feature and a point of antagonism that doesn't always work for the best; House's role has this harsh stickler vibe to her that goes a bit over the top in an effort to be humorous. Richard Ayoade, who voiced Counselor Jerry, is another tone that doesn't fit the higher being he portrays; often quite a grating tone and never really capturing the wise manner Braga wields effortlessly. Phylicia Rashad, who voiced Libba, is a stern matriarch but far from an interesting one; Rashad struggles to find an emotional link between herself and Foxx's role.

I found this to be one of the more moving and thought-provoking films I've seen from Disney/Pixar in recent years. I would give Soul a 9/10.