May 8, 20216 min read

Soul: Live a Life worth Living

Updated: Jan 31, 2023

Reviews by:

@the_owlseyes
@augustkellerwrites
@hk_movieaddict

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We worry a lot about our death and our objectives that sometimes we lose contact with the present. We think that our job is our purpose, that we live for granting ourselves an economic sustainability. We think that our dreams, once fullfilled, will make us feel successful. All of that is just smoke's pall hiding what makes life beautiful. This movie approach this argument, it tries to make the audience, made of kids and adults, understand an idea which is overlooked today.

PLOT

"After landing the gig of a lifetime, a New York jazz pianist suddenly finds himself trapped in a strange land between Earth and the afterlife" or "Talking to the phone while walking arounf could get you killed but it isn't just about that, otherwise it would be a long commercial".

SCRIPT

I don't want to say that this movie has an almost perfect script but this is the truth. The story revolves around two characters who have different ideas. They both start their journey with a lot of stubbornness. Their archs collide and then intertwine, furthering the growth of both. The interesting thing is that, even though the movie is about life, it explains through a concept which is hard and risky: death. Even though it present a situation which is bonkers, you'll understand why when you'll see it, the movie results grounded and mature, not just in reality but also in science. Obviously every scientific concept, one is about physics and the other about psychology, are well cooked to make them seem less boring and more intriguing. It's interesting how this movie is able to represent abstract ideas without making them seem clunky or corny. Even though both the characters have a satisfying stoy arch, I have just one criticism. The end could have been more powerful if Disney didn't decide to make it the usual Disney's resolution. Yes, it's good but the happy ending could mean a step back for one character from a pure storytelling perspective. Overall is a very good script with a proper character development and a lot of good ideas.

Script: 9/10

ACTING

Every actor pours his talent in every character, especially Jamie Foxx. He's the movie's core and he's able to deliver an heartfelt performance with a lot of charisma and a good range of emotions and tones, which swing between comedy and drama. Also the supporting cast does a very good job, crafting a background of interesting side characters like Moonwind and Counselor Jerry. Tina Fey, who voices the co-protagonist, is ok but I didn't find her acting particularly outstanding or interesting because her character delivered most of the jokes in a visual way.

Acting: 8/10

PHOTOGRAPHY

It's gorgeous. The movie does a good job by representing life and death in their unique way. Life is well defined and it's rigid, with uninteresting scenarios, until it isn't. The movie change the representation of our world once the point of view shifts from Joe to 22. There're also moments where Joe's point of view becomes more visually stunning, which are a masterpiece to watch and feel. And Death and the Great Beyond, well this are what makes this movie special. Death is something unexpected because it's represented as a warm, cozy feeling, without any kind of hurry. I think that they wanted to represent it like that to make it less frightening and, in a certain sense, to show the beauty of it. The Great Beyond is where the movie experiments with it's graphic, taking a lot of inspiration from abstractionism and cubism. This style overlaps in one scene with a different set and the result is eye pleasing. I think that visually this is one of the best animated movies I've ever seen.

Photography: 9/10

EDITING

Unfortunately this a pretty stale section. The shots are good but I don't find anything particularly inventive about them, maybe sometimes it tries to break the mold but it isn't very common. It's enough to say that it's sufficient but I've expected more from a movie like that.

Editing: 6/10

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Photography's quality, especially in an animated movie, is strongly linked to special effects. The cgi is amazing and it keep Pixar's standards pretty high. As I said before what's after and before death is a visual cornucopia. There's a lot of experimentation with shapes and textures, ranging from high complexity to perfect simplicity. This isn't on the same level of originality of Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse but it's still good looking.

Special Effects: 8/10

SOUNDTRACK

It's a mix of jazz and techy tones. The first characterize the real world and it gives a lot of characterization to Joe's character, who grows with his music. The movie's jazz is dynamic and it ranges between moment of extreme pathos and moment of dynamism. Here jazz is celebrated and there're some marvellous tracks here, which could get you interested in the genre. The Great Beyond and Death, which are metaphisical world, have an ambient score which is simple but it fits the visual style. If you'll think that it resembles a bit what you get in The Social Network, a David Fincher's movie, that's because this movie has employed the same composers. I prefer the Jazz sections of the soundtracks but in its entirety it's a pretty solid work.

Soundtrack: 8/10

COSTUMES

The characters wear cothes which are coherent with the universe they're set in. I like the soul of a dead person mantain retains clothes of accesories which are useful to identify who was that person. The movie doesn't go beyond that but at least, even though there isn't a lot of originality, it does its job.

Costumes: 6/10

CONCLUSION

Script: 9/10

Acting: 8/10

Photography: 9/10

Editing: 6/10

Special Effects: 8/10

Soundtrack: 8/10

Costumes: 6/10

AVERAGE: 7,71

It's a wonderful movie which poses good questions, represents good concepts and beautiful characters and it's a visual delight. I think that everyone should see it because it spokes to everyone and everyone could learn something from it. Because it touches your mind and your heart with elegance and tenderness.

By @the_owlseyes

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Soul is a spiritual journey. Using metaphorical plot points to represent abstract concepts, this film is intentional animation. Pixar is known for familiar narratives in strange places, but Soul uses that tactic to its fullest. Superficially, Soul is about a man stuck in purgatory, trying to return to his life. Viewers see various afterlife realms and meet diverse spirits. However, in reality, Soul is about the beauty of life and its everyday miracles. Soul utilizes these creative writing devices to emphasize a powerful message about living life to the fullest. Combining unique imagination with mighty emotions, Soul delivers a striking story.

Meanwhile, Soul's filmmaking is colorfully artistic. First, the music weaves fitting jazz on earth with its ethereal sythwave in heaven. Because music is central to the plot, this suggestive pattern is potent. Next, the production design is unique. Earth has Pixar's usual look, but heaven is symbolic and surreal. Plus, sound design is manipulated for emotional impact, graphics are stylistically detailed, and insert editing strengthens themes. Lastly, the direction balances the lighthearted tone with deeply spiritual ideas, while also orchestrating figurative set pieces. Overall, Soul has inspired craft and important meaning, making it a memorable treat.

Writing: 9/10

Direction: 9/10

Cinematography: 8/10

Acting: 7/10

Editing: 9/10

Sound: 10/10

Score/Soundtrack: 10/10

Production Design: 10/10

Casting: 8/10

Effects: 10/10

Overall Score: 9.0/10

For more of my work: https://guskeller.wixsite.com/moviefilmreviews

By @augustkellerwrites

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“𝙸 𝚍𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸’𝚖 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚘 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚖𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝙸 𝚍𝚘 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝙸’𝚖 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚞𝚝𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚒𝚝.”

As mentioned in the previous review, Pixar’s films have the power to capture interests from kids to mature audience alike. This is increasingly evident since #InsideOut (core memories and abstract thoughts) and #Coco (afterlife). In Soul, they’ve turned up the level with some challenging concepts that no other major animation studios dare to explore. While children would find Jerry or Soul 22 adorable, the adults would - hopefully - delve into deeper thoughts or reflections, from the message Soul intends to convey.

Our careers occupy a majority of our time. We can rarely sit back with a cup of skimmed latte and relax, let alone enjoy life. The “Epiphany” scene here emits a moment of serenity. Quoting Soul itself, it brings audience “into the zone”. Movies and scenes like these remind me why I love watching films all along. We don’t always have time to ponder life, but at least for 2 hours, with all lights out, we may have the luxury to immerse into a different world, while at the same time cherish our real one.

I don't know when this pandemic would be over, but I do know I’m going to cherish every minute of dining out, traveling, and meeting my friends and family, whenever it happens. Sincerely hope my friends would also have this same enlightenment after watching Soul.

𝕯𝖎𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖉 𝖇𝖞: 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐊𝐞𝐦𝐩 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬

𝖂𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖇𝖞: 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐊𝐞𝐦𝐩 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐌𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬

𝕻𝖑𝖆𝖈𝖊 𝖔𝖋 𝖔𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖎𝖓: 𝐔𝐒𝐀

𝕽𝖚𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊: 𝟏 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝟒𝟎 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬

𝕭𝖊𝖘𝖙 𝖘𝖈𝖊𝖓𝖊: (~𝟕𝟐 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐬) “𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲” + “𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐲” 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞

𝕸𝖞 𝕽𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌: 𝟖𝟓/𝟏𝟎𝟎

By @hk_movieaddict

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