Soul is stunningly beautiful and heartwarming animation from Pixar. It captured me from the very first moment and didn't let go until the credits started rolling. And above all else, it made me appreciate life just a little bit more, especially in the middle of this crazy year that we have all been living in.
If anyone ever asks what my favourite film studio is, I'd have to answer Pixar. I don't think that they have ever made a bad film, and I absolutely adore most of them. Be it the more entertaining and adventurous ones, like Toy Story and Onward, or the slower and more touching ones, like Inside Out and Soul. No matter what the films are like, the thing that always makes me like them is how easy it is to relate to the characters. While it may seem outlandish to relate to a toy in the case of Toy Story, or a car in the case of Cars, the characters, whatever they may be, always feel close to home. However, I don't think that any Pixar film has ever felt quite as close to home as Soul did. The way it deals with a sense of never being enough or amounting to anything meaningful was not only touching but easy to connect with. And, while it might be easy to portray these emotions, it's not easy to portray them in a way that is both meaningful and engaging. Yet, Soul seems to have done it perfectly.
The story centres around Joe, a middle-school music teacher who has dreamed of playing the piano at jazz clubs ever since his dad introduced him to the genre. However, as soon as he lands his dream gig, he gets into an accident and finds himself in a world between life and death. As he tries to get his soul back to his body on Earth, he meets 22, a soul that has been drifting around for centuries looking for purpose. As Joe and 22 embark on the journey to return Joe's soul to his body, they both learn a lot about purpose and meaning, and ultimately, end up with a very different view of their lives and the world, than what they started with. While it might sound like a fairly simple story on paper, the final product is surprisingly complicated. I'd even say a little needlessly complicated for the message and emotion that it tries to convey. While I could've gone without some of the fantasy elements, they certainly add a lot of excitement for kids. And although it might seem and feel similar to Inside Out, it's unique in its own way, while still capturing all the heartwrenching emotion, as well as moments of beauty.
However, no matter how great the story might've been, or how relatable the characters, the reason I loved Soul as much as I did, was because of its beauty. I can't remember the last time I have seen a film as beautiful as Soul. And I'm not just talking about the way it looks. Every moment and every scene, every interaction and every bit of conversation, is filled with beauty and meaning. Certainly, the visuals and atmosphere are gorgeous as well. Indeed, the one thing that I noticed, throughout, was this pleasantly warm hue that had a wonderfully calming effect on me. It made it stupendously easy to let myself fall into the meaningful and music-filled world of Soul. And quite frankly, by the time it ended, I wasn't ready to come back to the real world. Another thing that keeps on astonishing me is the depth that Pixar's films have. As a kid, I never realized how deep and meaningful the themes and idea are. Soul doesn't just make you ponder about what brings you meaning and happiness, it also makes you realize that it might not be what you have always thought it is. It certainly made me pause and reflect on the things that I give value, and I'm sure it will keep me doing it for the coming days.
When 2020 began, I would've never guessed that my favourite film of the year would be about a middle-school music teacher trying to find his way back to his body from the soul world. But then again, this year has been filled with things that I never could've seen coming. And in a year like this, it's the little things that matter. And for me, Soul was a tiny moment of beauty that allowed me to escape everything else, and come out appreciating my life just a little bit more. It gave me peace and a chance to let go, and that's exactly what I needed it to do.
If anyone ever asks what my favourite film studio is, I'd have to answer Pixar. I don't think that they have ever made a bad film, and I absolutely adore most of them. Be it the more entertaining and adventurous ones, like Toy Story and Onward, or the slower and more touching ones, like Inside Out and Soul. No matter what the films are like, the thing that always makes me like them is how easy it is to relate to the characters. While it may seem outlandish to relate to a toy in the case of Toy Story, or a car in the case of Cars, the characters, whatever they may be, always feel close to home. However, I don't think that any Pixar film has ever felt quite as close to home as Soul did. The way it deals with a sense of never being enough or amounting to anything meaningful was not only touching but easy to connect with. And, while it might be easy to portray these emotions, it's not easy to portray them in a way that is both meaningful and engaging. Yet, Soul seems to have done it perfectly.
The story centres around Joe, a middle-school music teacher who has dreamed of playing the piano at jazz clubs ever since his dad introduced him to the genre. However, as soon as he lands his dream gig, he gets into an accident and finds himself in a world between life and death. As he tries to get his soul back to his body on Earth, he meets 22, a soul that has been drifting around for centuries looking for purpose. As Joe and 22 embark on the journey to return Joe's soul to his body, they both learn a lot about purpose and meaning, and ultimately, end up with a very different view of their lives and the world, than what they started with. While it might sound like a fairly simple story on paper, the final product is surprisingly complicated. I'd even say a little needlessly complicated for the message and emotion that it tries to convey. While I could've gone without some of the fantasy elements, they certainly add a lot of excitement for kids. And although it might seem and feel similar to Inside Out, it's unique in its own way, while still capturing all the heartwrenching emotion, as well as moments of beauty.
However, no matter how great the story might've been, or how relatable the characters, the reason I loved Soul as much as I did, was because of its beauty. I can't remember the last time I have seen a film as beautiful as Soul. And I'm not just talking about the way it looks. Every moment and every scene, every interaction and every bit of conversation, is filled with beauty and meaning. Certainly, the visuals and atmosphere are gorgeous as well. Indeed, the one thing that I noticed, throughout, was this pleasantly warm hue that had a wonderfully calming effect on me. It made it stupendously easy to let myself fall into the meaningful and music-filled world of Soul. And quite frankly, by the time it ended, I wasn't ready to come back to the real world. Another thing that keeps on astonishing me is the depth that Pixar's films have. As a kid, I never realized how deep and meaningful the themes and idea are. Soul doesn't just make you ponder about what brings you meaning and happiness, it also makes you realize that it might not be what you have always thought it is. It certainly made me pause and reflect on the things that I give value, and I'm sure it will keep me doing it for the coming days.
When 2020 began, I would've never guessed that my favourite film of the year would be about a middle-school music teacher trying to find his way back to his body from the soul world. But then again, this year has been filled with things that I never could've seen coming. And in a year like this, it's the little things that matter. And for me, Soul was a tiny moment of beauty that allowed me to escape everything else, and come out appreciating my life just a little bit more. It gave me peace and a chance to let go, and that's exactly what I needed it to do.