“This Movie’s Got Soul”
Have you ever wondered what the meaning of life is? Do you contemplate your existence; questioning whether your purpose, your legacy, matters in the grand scheme of life? Billions upon billions of souls - our essences - traverse the world every day, yet what does it mean for us to be living right here and now? While these may be complex and rather deep questions to process, I’m sure many of us have thought about what it means to be “alive” or to be “in the moment”, wherever your passions or goals lead, and that’s precisely what Disney/ Pixar’s Soul represents.
In an effort to provide existential insight into individualism and the meaning of life, Pixar’s latest masterpiece tells the story of middle school band teacher, Joe Gardner, who is shown to be a rather mild-mannered type of guy, yet feels he is lacking “importance” in his life. This all changes though when Joe encounters an old student of his who sets him up with the chance to perform in the band of a legendary jazz artist.
Joe’s excited for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, feeling that this is the big break he’s been waiting for, until he unexpectedly falls into a manhole, taking him to the realm of the “Great Before” - a land preparing unborn souls for life - where he is mistaken for a new soul counselor. There, he is assigned to guide 22, a rather cynical soul who feels there is no purpose in going to Earth and starting a life (despite the number of counselors she has had previously). There, the two form an unlikely partnership as 22 agrees to help Joe reconnect with his body in exchange for allowing her to remain in the Great Before.
The duo eventually find a way back to Earth… only for their souls to be swapped as Joe becomes trapped in the body of a cat while 22 becomes… Joe! With the band performing that night, wacky shenanigans ensue as Joe now must find a way to guide 22 through human living and reunite with his body so he can perform.
Throughout the film, Soul is rather unique in that it subtly diverges from some of the traditional Disney/Pixar formula. I feel an essential example of this is in the comedy. While there are certainly laughs (especially during the “body swap” events in the later part of the movie), the humor isn’t the focus, rather much of the jokes and laughs come from more subdued and spread out moments more so than an obvious set-up. This by no means subtracts from the movie at all, in fact I believe this is one of the most entertaining Pixar films overall, but just note that the humor isn’t what the movie is trying to highlight.
Rather, I feel the strongest aspect of the film is in the character development and how it guides the story. If there’s one thing I love about Disney/Pixar movies, it’s the intriguing and in-depth characters they have provided audiences for generations; from rats to robots, these films always make it a priority to drive the entertainment through the actions of the characters, and Soul is no exception.
Without spoiling any major developments or events of the movie (besides the basic plot summary I delivered), I firmly believe that Joe and 22 may be some of the strongest characters I’ve ever seen. The characters have desires and motives that we can empathize with. We understand Joe’s struggles with inheriting some legacy; he’s not necessarily disappointed where he is with his current job, but rather he’s frustrated as he feels like he should be more. And with 22, she may seem cold at first, but she’s that way because she’s been beaten down by a millennia of previous failures and others giving up on her. But as the film progresses, we can see how each character plays off each other and how they learn over the course of the plot. We see 22 begin to enjoy all the little moments and experiences of everyday life, something Joe lost sight of through his persistence to “succeed”. We see people that Joe daily interacts with and all the moments and feelings they have, another aspect he took for granted. The character interactions and progressions ultimately culminate in the climatic third act, which while I can’t go into detail without spoiling, really highlights these characters and the story they go through at their finest.
At the end of the day, Soul may be Disney/Pixar’s most philosophical movie yet. While they have definitely provided high-depth analysis and insight in the past, I don’t think any of them are as prevalent as the concept of existence. This film does an outstanding job at showing us that life isn’t about an end game or achieving certain goals; while those can certainly be motivators for moving forward, they are by no means the definitive conclusion. Soul instead captures those everyday moments - the times we smile, laugh, explore, adventure, learn, feel… - as a true necessity for life; the things we - myself included - often overlook.
Soul is a movie that not only left me smiling, but also thinking. Reflecting on memories or moments I had forgotten, those small moments that have left an impact one way or another, and I hope that maybe this picture can encourage others to do the same. With brilliant characters, an innovative story, and even other impressions I left out such as the vivid animation and the surprisingly soothing soundtrack, this is one film I’d highly recommend to everyone. Whether you agree with my review or not, I personally find this to be one of Pixar’s best.
