The thing about movies from Pixar is that they flirt with advanced concrete thought, while simultaneously serving as the most excellent entertainment source for children. That has never been truer than with its latest, the soul searching and impeccably monikered Soul—out now on DVD, Blu-ray, and digital formats.
Jamie Foxx stars as Jon Gardner and he’s spent his life balancing the reality his mother wants for him and the lifelong dreams that were instilled in him from his late father. Gardner loves jazz and has been making his living as a part-time band instructor at a middle school. As a professional jazz pianist, he is just waiting for his shot. Fate intervenes when a former student, Curly (Questlove), calls and says that a superstar sax player needs a piano player when hers drops out right before a New York City featured show and a tour.
Then, as shown in the Soul trailer, he falls into a hole and perishes. But, to my surprise, Soul is not a movie about the afterlife or even the choices made during a life and how it is viewed as a totality. Directors Pete Doctor and Kemp Powers have delivered a story that is about those elements, but about so much more including our life before we are even born to what we are “meant” to be or become. It’s a highly heart-pulling tale that should resonate with all souls across the audience spectrum.
See, Gardner does something that apparently no soul has done prior. As he is heading to the Great Beyond, he walks, er runs, in the opposite direction—knowing that this is a mistake. Or it must be a mistake. He was given the gig of a lifetime and then moments later he dies? No, just no! What Jon ends up doing is falling through a spectrum and landing in a landscape that features nurturing souls readying to become babies. Clearly, he doesn’t belong there, but fate has ideas for Gardner, and it involves Tina Fey’s 23.
23 is a molding soul who has been around for thousands of years. She doesn’t want to go down to Earth, thinks it is a waste of time, boring, and lacks any kind of cull for her. 23 and Gardner’s fates are intertwined in ways that are profound and immensely interconnected to the success in life (or death) of either. It’s a brilliant premise, but one that might go over younger viewers’ heads. Yes, Pixar makes movies for kids, and this is animated children’s fare, but there is an entire plotline about life and purpose that may be a wee bit heady for the younger viewers. That being said, the lessons about life and living it to the fullest and knowing that we may not have just one purpose, but many—are priceless mores about this journey we all take on the planet Earth.
Foxx makes his Pixar debut in such a sweeping manner that it has to go down as one of the fabled animation houses’ most divine debuts. Fey plays off of Foxx fantastically. The two are incredible together and each brings exactly what is needed to their characters to drive the narrative to unforeseen and welcoming places. Separately they embody these souls in the most unusual and unexpected ways. In many ways, 23 is more astute, learned, and wise than Gardner, yet Gardner has the real-world experience to open up 23’s eyes that maybe, just maybe, heading down to earth into a baby’s body would not be such a bad endeavor.
The two play off each other in playful, yet oftentimes serious moments that are emblematic of the entire Soul cinematic experience. This is a deep film, one that will make you think, long after the credits roll. Doctor and Powers have a handle on the direction that is pitch-perfect. Their film never tries to something it’s not, yet at the same time, it is a movie that is hard to quantify and explain through cagey descriptors and summations.
The entire voice cast is absolutely stunning as each fits their part like a glove. Starting with UK television personality Graham Norton as Moonwind, who plays an enormous role in the fate of Joe and 23. Alice Braga, Wes Studi, and Richard Ayoade all do stellar work as Counselor Jerry (each person in the pre-birth region is named Jerry). It’s a complicated needle to thread, but there is something about each of their performances that will leave you stunned. Phylicia Rashad is mesmerizing as Libba, while Donnell Rawlings dazzles as Dez. Angela Bassett’s Dorothea is a gift of the highest order. Meanwhile, Daveed Diggs’ Paul is every bit Pixar perfection.
The musical score from Oscar winners (for The Social Network) Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is sensational. It not only captures the essence of the film itself but provides it its tone in many ways. The two composers have a gift beyond compare and now can proudly boast that they are equally adept at scoring a David Fincher hard-edge revenge thriller (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), but also a Pixar movie. I mean, who can do that? The Nine Inch Nails leader is prolific, after all, he and Atticus just penned the score to Mank earlier this year as well. Simply stunning.
Soul is a deeply meaningful movie that will have you looking at your own life, and most importantly the choices we all make that wind up defining a lifetime. The musical element, with the jazz music and the passion for that milieu of music, is a gift to all of those who have ever picked up an instrument to play jazz and for those who even simply press play or drop a needle on it to listen to the consummate American musical form.
Bonus features, as per usual with the Mouse House, are informative, enlightening, and most importantly, wholeheartedly entertaining. The digital and physical releases of Soul include exclusive, never-before-seen deleted scenes and audio commentary by Docter, Powers, and producer Dana Murray.
As soon as those credits roll, head right into writer Mike Jones and story supervisor Kristen Lester as they introduce the Soul deleted scenes. Many of them are outfight fun, and of course, touching. Deleted scenes are nice because you get an inside scoop into the thinking of the director and his or her overall scope for the picture.
Those deleted scenes include Mentor Orientation where Joe sneaks into the You Seminar Mentor Program orientation, trying to figure out how on earth he can get back to … Earth. Clubhouse Forgery finds Joe following 22 into her “secret lair” as she reluctantly agrees to help him find his way back to Earth. Home Lessons centers on 22 stuck inside Joe’s body, as clumsily attempts to help the downstairs neighbor. Living the Dream features Joe having a heart-to-heart with 22 about her fears and then attempts to make his way back home.
The deleted scene Press Shot has Joe, stuck in a cat’s body, and 22, stuck in Joe’s body, take the subway to the jazz club for a publicity photography session.
You’re going to want to check out the Audio Commentary as filmmakers Docter, co-director/writer Powers, producer Dana Murray breaks down the action occurring on the screen all while you witness it.
Not Your Average Joe takes us behind the scenes into the Disney/Pixar brains trust as all involved seek to collaborate and create a character that is not only endearing but recognizes the importance of this being the first Black leading character in a Pixar movie.
There’s a whole lot to get into with Astral Taffy—which will give the viewers an in-depth look at the gorgeous and mind-blowing artistry that took place, as long as the tech evolution, to create the world of Soul.
Soul, for there is no question, is a heavy subject matter for an animated feature from Pixar, but in Pretty Deep for a Cartoon, all of the filmmakers embrace those big questions and seek to explain their thinking about the tone and level of discourse of the film itself.
One of my favorite featurettes puts a spotlight on what is sure to win Best Score at this year’s Oscar. Into the Zone: The Music and Sound of Soul takes us into the creative process of the Oscar-nominated team and its revolutionary musical score and how it drives Joe’s journey and redemption.
With the COVID-19 pandemic raging, Pixar was able to complete the movie and get it out to viewers. Soul, Improvised illustrates exactly how that occurred and the Herculean effort it took to achieve its greatness.
Lastly, dive into Jazz Greats which spotlights some of the most well-known jazz players who were consulted for the film to keep it as real as possible. It’s fascinating and an education in jazz and filmmaking, collectively.
Film Grade: A
Bonus Features: A+