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Rating: 4.75 out of 5
Have you ever sat back and wondered what is the meaning of life and if you should be at the place in your life that you are meant to be at? I have contemplated the meaning of life sometimes. You should be a good and understanding person to all, but the latter questions always stay on my mind. Questions such as: am I at the place I should be in life? Have I wasted a lot of time in my early years that I am just on the path of retirement and maybe sadness? Will I ever get to the level I believe I should be at? How much more should I give, and when will my opportunity come? Question after question, it will drive someone crazy. I sure enough have driven me crazy a few times. Yet, we don’t know the future; sometimes, an opportunity will come when we least expect it.
Pixar presents a movie that touches upon the questions above but mainly focuses on the meaning of life. In New York City, Joe Garner (Foxx) is a part-time music teacher who dreams of playing jazz professionally. Joe can get down with the piano and is looking for his shot, but Joe is also middle-aged. I know what you are feeling, Joe. Joe receives an offer to teach full-time, and his mother, Libba (Rashad), pushes him to accept the position because it offers a steady income with benefits. Yet, Joe is reluctant as his heart is playing jazz. When Joe learns that famous jazz musician Dorothea Williams (Bassett) has an opening in her quartet and auditions at a jazz club, Joe rushes at the chance. Joe manages to impress Dorthea, who hires him for the night’s show. Joe is ecstatic at his big opportunity and that his fortune might be changing for the better. On his way home, Joe falls into an open manhole. Life comes at you quick and unexpectedly.
Joe wakes up to find himself as a disembodied soul heading into the afterlife called the “Great Beyond.” Unwilling to accept that he died and fate, Joe bounces and ends up in the “Great Before,” a place where new souls are prepared for life on Earth with guidance from counselors who are experienced mentors. Each soul has a badge that grants passage to Earth once it has been filled with the soul’s interests and personality traits. Joe sneaks his way to becoming a mentor and is assigned to 22 (Fey). 22 is notorious and has a reputation for being a difficult soul. 22 has been in the Great Before for thousands of years and doesn’t want to leave. She had some of the most iconic mentors throughout history, and none of them have convinced her to move forward with life. With Joe’s desperation to return to a boring life, 22 agrees that Joe should help find her spark, which will complete her badge.
The story of Soul is phenomenal as it will make you see your own life and smile. When 22 accidentally takes over Joe’s body, she experiences life. She gets to taste the wonders of food, feel the wind across her face, listen and vibe out to music, and learn a lot about life. One of the best scenes is when 22 goes to the barbershop and has discussions. When Joe’s barber explains how happy he is even when life has been up and down, 22 starts realizing that life isn’t that bad. She also has conversations with one of Joe’s students, which help her understand that it is okay to move to the next stage of life and get life started. When it is time to switch bodies, 22 doesn’t want to leave because she loves life.
With experiencing life, a situation arises with 22. 22 discovers her badge is complete, but Joe states that the only reason her badge is complete is from experiencing life through his body and his preferences and even states that she still has no purpose. Cold ass words for a mentor to say. These words cause 22 to throw away her badge. When Jerry tells Joe that a spark is not a soul’s purpose in life, Joe brushes Jerry off and uses 22’s badge to return to Earth. This is telling in the story because people live through other eyes. We are so different that one person can find inspiration in another. Joe finds his spark in jazz music. Are you telling me that his spark wasn’t the same as Louis’s or Dizzy’s?
The story continues with Joe showing up at the club and playing his ass off. The only thing is that this is the moment Joe had been waiting for, and it doesn’t feel right. I know that feeling. Joe looks at the small objects that 22 had collected during her trip inside Joe’s body and realizes that these experiences gave 22 her spark. Joe plays the piano and enters the Zone to return 22’s badge but soon discovers she is a lost soul. Joe manages to get through to her with a single maple seed. They find out that a spark is not a soul’s purpose but a soul’s willingness to live. 22 returns to normal and decides it is finally time to go live life on Earth. Joe decides to do the Saito speech with life and live life to the fullest.
Saito’s quote from Inception is a great metaphor for this film and life. “Do you want to take a leap of faith or become an old man, filled with regret, waiting to die alone!” Soul presents a story that is way more than just going through life; it is about finding your spark to keep living life. We can always stop at life, but the truest journey is one in which we can live and take leaps of faith repeatedly. When we look back on life, we pass our knowledge on and smile at what we accomplished and lived.
The voice actors/cast of this film were great. Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey were amazing in their roles as Joe Gardner and 22. Foxx voiced Gardner as a middle-aged man who wanted more in life. He had a passion for jazz music and was looking for his big break. Fey as 22 was funny but eye-opening as the cynical but curious soul with a view on life that needed exploring. Foxx and Fey were hilarious when their characters switched bodies.
The musical score was beautiful and a joy to listen to. I found out that musicians Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails composed an ambient score. I give it up to them because you will think that black musicians would’ve done it, but this shows that music spans all races. I have major love for Jon Batiste, and he did an outstanding job for his part of the music. Batiste was perfect for making the music because he just has it, and he could probably be Joe in real-life film for his love of music and jazz.
Everyone should take a moment to watch this film. Soul is a great film that will make you think about life and its meaning. The characters are outstanding, and Foxx and Fey deserve all the praise. This is one of Pixar’s finest movies. It has a heavy story, but it is one worth watching. Watch this film and go out and live life to the fullest.
