Separated from His Body, a Soul Makes a Life-Changing Journey

22 (left, voiced by Tina Fey) and Joe Gardner 
(voiced by Jamie Foxx) in "Soul"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

While many of Pixar’s movies have succeeded in exploring emotional territory that can be just as enriching for adult viewers as it can be for children, a prime example of just how deep and intricate they can take a concept is their 2015 film, “Inside Out.”  Not only did this movie offer poignant material in the usual Pixar fashion, but it did so by taking an inventive look inside the human psyche and exploring its inner-workings through the use of anthropomorphic emotions as characters.  It’s one of the studio’s finest examples of their ability to offer complex storytelling while also being entertaining.

The studio accomplishes something similarly with Pete Doctor (who directed and co-wrote “Inside Out) and Kemp Powers’ new movie, “Soul,” which focuses on an intricate view on the subject of life and death.  As with many other Pixar movies, this one doesn’t shy away from focusing on heavy topics, and with a fine balance of wit and drama, the film explores its theme in a unique way that’s the standard of Pixar.

Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx) is a music teacher in New York City who feels dissatisfied with his job.  Before his chance to break out as a jazz musician, his soul is accidentally separated from his body and must find itself in the “Great Before,” a place where young souls are prepared for life on Earth.  To get back to Earth, Joe recruits the help of another soul, named 22 (Tina Fey).

Foxx provides heartfelt work as a man who has a passion for music and a soul who has a determination to reunite with his physical self.  He brings laughs when his character tries to adjust to the world of the “Great Before,” exhibiting a comical panic as he races to make things right.  However, as the film goes on and he begins to realize that there’s more to his life than what he expected, Foxx makes a superb, heartwarming turn as his character has a breakthrough that’s an emotional highlight of the movie.

Fey is her usual comedic self, voicing a soul who has been in the “Great Before” for a long time and doesn’t wish to go to Earth.  She exhibits her fast-paced humor and has her typical great delivery of some of the film’s funniest dialogue.  Later in the film, Fey’s character is given a similar chance like Foxx’s to exhibit some poignancy in her role as she goes from someone who doesn’t wish to experience life to someone who begins to consider that there may be aspects about life that make it worth living.

While the supporting voice cast is terrific all around, such as Phylicia Rashad as Joe’s mother, Libba, and Angela Bassett as Dorothea Williams, a jazz musician and saxophone player, the standout is Rachel House as Terry, an antagonistic, takes-her-job-too-seriously soul counter in the “Great Beyond.”  The cunning tone of her voice, mixed with the way in which the animators make her move around in a sly nature adds to a character who’s so much fun to watch as she calculates her movements and slightly bumbles her way through getting the job done.

The screenplay by Doctor, Powers, and Mike Jones is an imaginative existential story.  We’re provided with a detailed look into Joe’s life throughout the movie, giving us a view of his passions and his connections with his friends and family and showing us the kind of person he is before we journey along with his soul as he makes some deep discoveries about himself.  The narrative that Doctor, Powers, and Jones create is a view of life and death that only writers behind a Pixar movie could have created, a type of genius that always has you thinking, “How did they come up with this?”  Of course, by now, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Pixar can craft something like this.  The way in which this trio is able to write a complex story that deals with topics like life, death, pre-existence, and finding one’s purpose, and have it all coalesce results in a screenplay that exhibits an abundance of feeling and intelligence.

Doctor and Powers provide stunning animation for the film’s settings in the “Great Before” and NYC.  The “Great Before” is imbued with soft, ethereal colors, while the city is vibrant with the throngs of people, busy streets, and shop windows, creating an immersive experience within the environments of the film and empowering your senses as you take in another stellar world that Pixar has created.  Accompanying the lively visuals is a score from Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste.  Reznor and Ross create otherworldly music for the sequences of the film that take place in the “Great Before,” while Batiste provides a catchy, jazzy score for the scenes that take place in the city. 

Given the story material, it could have been tricky to balance lightheartedness and misty-eyed emotion, but as directors, Doctor and Powers pull it off without issue.  Through their beautiful exploration of what it means to live, “Soul” is a movie that will make you feel alive.

Grade: A