What happens when we die? How do we find our purpose in life? When does passion for something turn to obsession? These are the lofty questions asked by Soul, the latest film from premier animation studio Pixar and veteran director Pete Docter. Does the film answer all these questions? The answer is a resounding yes, in typical Pixar weep-inducing fashion no less, with the story of struggling music teacher and wannabe jazz musician Joe’s (Jamie Foxx) journey through the afterlife filled with heart, humour and a fascinating examination of the human experience. Whilst it may place too much focus on its mature story at times and not enough on making things fun and enjoyable for younger audiences, this is a resounding return to form for Pixar after the somewhat lackluster Onward earlier this year.
Joe is in a rut. Resisting the call of a steady full-time job, he slogs through his part-time music teacher gig by day as a means to support his true passion: jazz. When a former student offers him the chance of a lifetime to play in the jazz quartet of legendary Dorothea (Angela Bassett), Joe jumps at the chance… and in his excitement jumps all the way to his untimely, accidental demise. This is where our story truly begins as Joe’s soul is given an opportunity to mentor 22 (Tina Fey) – a particularly difficult young soul who has spent thousands of unsuccessful years attempting to find her purpose for living – in exchange for a shot at his own life again and the chance to fulfil his lifelong dream. Along the way, the pair begins to understand more than they ever could have imagined about life itself and the joys to be found in the little things, with epiphanies flying left, right and centre as they learn their true places within the world.
Soul is an impressive feat of animated storytelling in multiple regards, perhaps most importantly it might just be the best looking animated film ever made. Every frame is filled with groundbreaking, jaw-dropping visuals; from the crisp, photorealistic vision of New York, where Joe resides, to the ethereal, abstract quality of the training ground for young souls, the “Great Before”. Buildings are well-worn and populated in the city that never sleeps, capturing all the tiny details from cracks and chips in the bricks to faded stickers and graffiti on the subway. The jazz club Joe frequents looks spectacular, like something plucked straight out of La La Land, with its hazy neon sign and dimly lit, smoky interior providing the perfect backdrop for the captivating scenes of Joe performing in his element as he gets into “The Zone” – itself a visual marvel of vivid shades of blue and purple swirling around the musician as the rest of the world fades to nothingness. This sumptuous visual palette follows Joe wherever he goes, as his soul falls through strikingly abstract scenes of black and white lines on his way to the “Great Before”, which is rendered in brilliant baby blues and light purples, a calm and welcoming place for souls to learn about the world, in stark contrast to the dank wasteland of lost souls.
As you can probably tell from some of the locations I’ve just talked about, Soul is an incredibly original film, one that takes these great questions of the human experience and attempts to answer them through the personification of souls and their journey to find their “spark” – that lust for life and thirst to experience being human that qualifies them to be placed into a human body. Young souls bubble and bounce around with exuberance, not aware of the hardships of life and filled with sheer optimism. A great moving walkway ferries souls towards a great white abyss after they die, counted by an abstract guardian, Terry (Rachel House) who later pursues the renegade Joe. Similar abstract figures – the Jerry’s – act as guides to these fresh souls, teaching them all the things that make a human unique, and guiding them towards attaining their pass to enter a body. It’s all incredibly inventive and these otherwise undefinable aspects of the human experience are prime real-estate for the Pixar team to experiment to their hearts content, creating a world that makes these heady concepts palatable for younger audiences through visually arresting imagery and an accessible story filled with excellent messages for children to learn. In a way, Soul feels like the perfect companion piece to the studio’s earlier hit Inside Out. Where that film brought the emotional struggle within a human being to the forefront, Soul focuses on things external to the body, the many facets of life that make it worth living and that people connect to.
The story of Joe is at once recognisable and universal, one of discovering what makes you unique and what gets you out of bed in the morning and ready to dive into life. Jamie Foxx gives a deeply layered and nuanced performance in his portrayal of the teacher, a man who wholeheartedly believes his spark is music and will listen to no one else if it does not pertain to his goal, teetering dangerously close to obsession. We’ve all been in Joe’s shoes at one point, having taken an interest or hobby too far and needing to be reminded that there is so much more to life than this one thing. This relatability and relevance only makes the emotional impact late in the piece hit that much harder and in typical Pixar style you’ll require plenty of tissues on deck if you hope to survive to the end. The impact of those final moments is heightened by Joe’s companion 22’s journey.
The not so young soul has been around for some time now; completely apathetic towards life, she has burned through strings of mentors (deceased souls who have moved on to train the next generations) from throughout history, told within one hilarious montage. Her journey from hatred to a complete lust for life is wonderfully laid out and hits emotional notes like Joe does piano keys. It’s a truly beautiful story that’s only real flaw comes in the fact that there isn’t much focus placed on fun for the younger audiences. The presentation certainly seems kid-friendly, but the decidedly mature story doesn’t seem like it resonates with those without much experience with life and while it certainly does pack some good lessons in, there’s something to be said about the lack of adorable side-characters or visual, slapstick gags that usually populate a Pixar adventure. It’s a small complaint but one that does seem a little off-brand given the studio’s usual target audience.
Pixar’s Soul is nothing short of a masterpiece of animation. The culmination of all the technical wizardry the studio has cultivated over more than 20 years has led to the most visually stunning animated film ever created, with clarity and inventiveness in its imagery that will astound audiences of all ages. Its beautifully told story may not strike a chord with younger audiences, but like those ten minutes in Up, it touches emotion after emotion as it dissects the human experience and perfectly renders those small feelings of joy and wonder in the little things that make life great, on the way to a complete tearjerker of a finale. Soul is filled with humour, heart, imagination and most importantly, touches your own soul with that Pixar magic. Essential viewing.
Soul stars Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Alice Braga, Rachel House, Richard Ayoade, Daveed Diggs & Angela Bassett – Streaming on Disney+ now.