REVIEW: Soul, a Unique Adventure with a Message of Hope.
- Benjamin Wiebe
- Jan 23, 2021
- 3 min read
Soul might just be the most genuine movie released this year, with its astounding visuals and heartwarming message throughout that resonates with an audience in a year when the "purpose" of life has been put on hold.
Another instance of Pixar's fantastic use of real camera optics and light in an animated film. What a treat to watch.
The film follows the mundane life of Joe Gardner, a Musician just getting by, who has the opportunity of a lifetime taken away from him by a sudden accident, in which he meets 22, an unborn soul that wants nothing to do with Earth. Watching these two individuals transform each other into better people as they find a life worth living is beautiful and hypnotizing, supported by the blend of many animation styles that make the film quite gorgeous.
New York is absolutely gorgeous in this film. From the shadows to the level of detail, Kemp Powers' influence is felt throughout every scene in the real world.
That is the heart and soul of "Soul". It's a film that you fall into, where all the elements work together flawlessly to take you on a journey that doesn't settle for easy answers at any turn. Instead, they challenge the characters, and by extension, the audience to grow and learn to appreciate the wonders of living.
Accepting who you are and appreciating life for life is a core theme of this film, and Joe Gardner's arc highlights it in scenes like this. Reflective, contemplative, and captivating.
And there are wonders in this film. From the natural environments of New York City, with a wide array of different characters with varying interests and personalities, and the animated city feels like the real city. From the students, to fellow commuters, to the street performers of NYC, this film captures the business of real-life perfectly. To contrast this, Soul also has some beautiful surreal environments, like the Great Beyond, Great Before, and the zone, which all have distinct colours and styles of architecture that make it feel real and lived in despite the fictionality of these locations. These areas are also home to the characters of Jerry, Jerry, Jerry and Jerry, and these characters are the most uniquely designed I have seen in, well, ever. They are hilarious too, which makes them extremely memorable.
The Afterlife is such an abstract world populated by Jerry's, and it's simply wonderful to see in a normal Pixar film. These guys are hilarious, and great character foils for Joe.
The contrast of these two locations is seen in our two protagonists, Joe and 22, who both exaggerate the best, and worst, aspects of their homes. Joe endlessly is in pursuit of becoming a Jazz Musician full time, believing that a moment will define his life. By comparison, 22 holds to the belief that life is little more than a pitstop between the Great before and the Great Beyond and goes about avoiding life and all responsibility.
When these two characters are forced to work together, they find the real wonder of living is not in the pursuit of a milestone or in moving forward, but in taking the time to smell the roses and appreciating the wonders of life. It's a film about finding rest, taking time to slow down in a world that constantly pushes you to go go go. And that is why I love this movie. It's a beautiful, funny, heartfelt and genuine film all about finding beauty in the world around you.
The score for this film slaps. It's wonderful to listen too, from the Jazz performances to the OST, and great for getting in the zone with homework.
A film worth watching, for everyone. 4.5/5
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