The culmination of many lessons learnt from the past; Soul is more than a heart-warming journey of a simple jazz lover but an adventure that shines a light on life’s overlooked joys.

Rating: 4/5

Pixar’s Soul is just that, a soulful journey into what awaits us after death and what we waited through before life. At first glance, all the normal tropes have returned to create a jazzy twist on the emotional but worn-out story that has become the animation house’s bread and butter, but this time round there is a simplicity and transparency to the whole affair. No cards are hidden up Pixar’s sleeve, instead there is a beauty in how tightly knit everything fits together as I felt inspired to see the world in a new light and listen out for the jazz that is at the heart of the film.

High school band teacher Joe (Jamie Foxx) is close to broke as he chases his dream at being a professional Jazz player. Well, ‘close to broke’ might not be accurate as Joe takes his laundry to his mother who owns a tailoring shop; everything from romance to cash sacrificed in the desperate climb to a destiny he believes to be his. Finally, Joe is on the verge of living amidst the greener side of the fence until he suddenly isn’t, falling into the sewer and waking up in the Great Before. There, he meets and must mentor the as yet unborn soul 22 (Tina Fey). Unable to find her ‘spark’, 22 has resigned herself to an eternity in the Great Before and agrees to help Joe get back to Earth so he can finally achieve what he believes he was born to do.

Pizza with a side of spark… voiced by Tina Fey and Jamie Foxx. Image: Pixar/Disney

Across the 1 hour and 47-minute runtime, Pixar delivers on an innocent story that isn’t aimed solely at a younger audience, a trait that had seemed to fade away in the past couple of years. With releases such as Toy Story 4, Incredibles 2, and Cars 3, not only has there been a surge of sequels that have felt like a poor attempt at re-capturing lighting but the main source of enjoyment from older audiences has been one of nostalgia. Yet, 2020 saw a new animated world from the powerhouse, Onward feeling both innovative and refreshing after its lacklustre predecessors. Soul not only proves that the modern fantasy wasn’t a one-off fluke but far and away exceeds current expectations.

Although it is needless to say that Pixar’s animation is brilliant, Soul feels as if there are two contradictory styles that come together harmoniously, not unlike the vibrant and hectic jazz that is the centre of Joe’s soul. Immediately, the real world feels sharp and clear; the fuzz on Joe’s sweater catching the light as he plays piano for his class, spindly fingers looking like a sharper version of Geri’s Game. Smash cut to the Great Before where everything looks smooth, cartoon shadows under Joe’s glasses and ethereal beings made of lines (that clearly find their inspiration from Picasso’s light drawings).

At first, the realistic and clear movement felt jarringly alien yet the moment Joe and 22 begin their adventure back on Earth, nothing felt amiss. The clear distinction between the two realms is clever and subtle, melting back into the background as quick glances are made from one side of the spiritual wall to the other.

Something that seemed a constant trouble throughout the journey was its pacing, sometimes slowing down to the point where I felt worried that it was going to turn stale. Thankfully, these moments never last too long but, by focusing on the lessons learnt from the fable instead of the narration itself, the ending is somewhat sullied. The film doesn’t feel like it should be over as there is a somewhat tragic tone so, obviously, it isn’t, yet the final 10 minutes suffer for it. I felt like I was being rushed towards the credits with a series of “and then…”s for the sake of cramming in an Aesopian ending.

Nevertheless, it was beautiful. Multiple things can be taken away from another one of Pete Docter’s Pixar home runs, and each is equally as important and varied. The question of happiness and purpose are closely intertwined as Moonwind (Graham Norton), the leader of some of the most spiritual souls, is seen to be nothing more than a sign twirler, content with everything he has (and everything he doesn’t).

Where some younger viewers might walk away smiling, most will carry the weight of Soul’s philosophy long past the cute post-credit joke. As souls go to the Great Beyond, they float up to a giant light and seem to get zapped like a moth on a light. What awaits them on the other side? Is there one Great Beyond or many for each religion, each morality? Many things are kept ambiguous as explanations seem to be nowhere on the priority list, creating an oxymoronic atmosphere of serene and scary. A question that is answered is this: is Soul worth watching? Unlike the others posed, the answer is obvious.