In 2020, Walt Disney released computer-animated comedy drama, Soul, another Pixar Studios production that succeeded in captivating the audience. It was directed by Pete Doctor and Co-directed by Kemp Powers.
A lacklustre middle school music teacher and struggling jazz pianist, Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) finally gets his big break. His audition to join the jazz band of a legendary jazz singer, Dorothea Williams (Angela Bassett) has landed him an opportunity to perform with them that very night. Unfortunately for him, in his euphoria, he recklessly gets into an accident and is suddenly not far from death’s door.
While his body lies in a lifeless coma on the hospital bed, his soul literally inches closer to the ‘great beyond’. Ironic, isn’t it? When he finally gets his big break, then he dies. However, Joe wasn’t going to let that happen. He was determined not to go into the ‘great beyond’, but rather get back to earth in time to reunite his soul to his body before the jazz performance that night.
Trying to find a way out, he wanders into the ‘great before’ where souls are prepared to enter earth. These souls have to take part in a variety of activities in order to find their ‘spark’ and earn their badge before being sent off to earth to be born. Mistaken for one of the instructors, he was assigned to 22 (Tina Fey), a stubborn and passionless soul who is reluctant to go to earth and hadn’t been able to find her ‘spark’ in the millions of years she had been in the ‘great before’. Somehow, with the help of Moonwind (Graham Norton) the leader of a weird psychedelic group called ‘mystic without borders’, Joe is able to get back to earth through ‘the zone’ – a gateway that can be entered into through a euphoric trance and a place which also houses depressed souls who have become lost.
Of course, there’s a hitch – While Joe is leaping back to earth, 22 accidentally goes with him, resulting in Joe’s soul entering the body of a therapy cat beside his body on the hospital bed and 22 entering Joe’s body. As a cat, Joe had to guide 22, despite not being able to properly communicate with her. Every encounter 22 had with people who knew Joe, provoked great anxiety for Joe - the visit from Connie (Cora Champommier), a student from Joe’s class who had plans to quit the music band, their visit to the barber, Dez (Donnell Rawlings), who had actually wanted to be a vet, and their stop at a store which belonged to Joe’s mother, Libba (Phylicia Rashad), who wasn’t keen on him becoming a jazz musician.
This was a huge predicament! Needless to say, there was a race against time to find Moonwind on earth so he can help put Joe back in his body before the Jazz band’s performance that night and help 22 get back to the ‘great before’. However, two new complications arise: The first is Terry (Rachel House) – the strict and over-efficient accountant with the responsibility of counting souls bound for the ‘great beyond’ is on to Joe and 22 and goes to earth to stop them. The second is 22 – it looks like she’s had a light bulb revelation; she seems eager to find her spark after all and she’s not ready to leave Joe’s body just yet.
I can’t remember a Pixar film that I didn’t like, and the same goes for Soul. With a myriad of talented actors giving their voices to the interesting, animated characters, the bar had already been set for an enjoyable watch. The depth of Soul’s theme really captured me. Do we get a full sense of satisfaction when we achieve our supposed goals, dreams, and aspirations? Sparks are triggered by simple everyday things we do, events that occur, people we meet and, of course, nature… in other words, Life! Surely our passion for life should bring us the truest form of joy and fulfilment.
Soul may not be as exciting as countless other Pixar movies, but it was funny, had a good story and was well delivered. Rating? 7 out of 10.
Available to watch on Disney+
Further Information
Director
Co-director
Writer
Originally Jazz Music
Played Joe Gardner
Played 22
Played Dorothea Williams
Played Libba
Played Moonwind
Cora Champommier:
Played Connie
Played Dez
Played Terry
Played each of the five counsellors (Counsellor Jerry)
I'm sure you'll love it😃
Like yourself, just love Pixar.. can't wait to see this one!