LFF Review: ‘Soul’
Over the years, Pixar has developed itself into being one of the most reliable box office and critical darlings in Hollywood, and is now a key part of the Disney empire due to some of the truly all-time great movies they have produced. However, in the last decade that reputation has started to waiver slightly as their hits have become less frequent and some misfires have appeared alongside the almost annual wins for the studio. Some have argued the reason for that is Pixar has started to rehash the tested formula too often and doesn’t take enough risks, but I truly don’t think that can be said about ‘Soul’, which is one of the most daring and simply best films Pixar has ever made.
One of the most striking things about this film is the visuals, and I appreciate the variety on show. New York is a really key part of the film and the emotional narrative, and it is truly one of the best ways I have seen the city used in a film before, whether it was live-action or animated, and the recreation of the city is perfect. Not only visually does it stun, but it manages to capture the manic energy, the intensity, and the life that flows through every street of the great city. This can then be brilliantly contrasted with the almost psychedelic and drug-infused imagery of the ‘Soul’ world, where everything is ethereal and bizarre, in a mostly comforting way that is also tinged with the knowledge that the characters here are reaching the end of their lives on the most part.
The voice cast here does some good work; Jamie Foxx gives his everything and creates a really engaging three-dimensional character with real passions and flaws. He is also organically a key part of the Black community in New York City, with his trip to the barber being a particular highlight. Tina Fey also does some really brilliant and nuanced work as she surprisingly becomes the heart of the movie in the third act, and it is some of the best work she has done in years. The rest of the ensemble is great and is also completely insane when you actually think about it, with the widest possible mix of people you could imagine for one film; Daveed Diggs, Graham Norton, Angela Bassett, Richard Ayoade, Rachel House, and Phylicia Rashad, among others, and they all do interesting work.
There is an important conversation to be had about Pixar’s Black representation, and that this is definitely a step forward in terms of representation both in front of and behind the camera. However, even before this film was released there was a lot of concern that this would be another animated film where early on, a person of colour would have their body switched and would spend most of the time in a different body. There are twists in this film that I didn’t expect so I won’t get into them here, but this specific scenario does not thankfully play out exactly as was feared, but I do still feel it is worth noting and improving on in the future as it does have some issues in that regard. There are much more important and appropriate voices on this subject than mine, but it is important that we continue to raise awareness of these things.
While there isn’t a lot to criticise about the film, there are some points throughout where it feels like it is starting to drag a little and you become slightly less engaged. This mostly takes place when the characters are on the ‘Soul’ world during the end of the first act, and as soon as the action returns to earth the film regains its momentum and never lets up from there. This is a film that is packed full of important messages about; life, death, how you treat others (our main character is a good man but it is raised smartly in the film that even he is very self-absorbed and doesn’t pay attention enough to the others in his life), and about our purpose on earth, but it is also a really enjoyable film, especially for kids. It isn’t non stop hysterics but it is lined with consistently funny humour that will appeal to all ages, and is an entertaining watch throughout its refreshingly short runtime.
There have been some really brilliant animated films already this year (including ‘Onward’ and the forecoming ‘Wolfwalkers’) but I struggle to see a world where ‘Soul’ doesn’t win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. However, in what is already shaping up to be an unusual Oscars season across the board, I could see a way in which the film could be nominated for its unique score (two distinct scores; for the Soul world, and the real world), the production design, and even for Best Picture (there is precedent).
A final point that I’d like to make is something I was thinking about as I left the cinema after seeing this film, and it really resonated with me especially in the light of the devastation caused to the arts by the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, is just how essential cinema is. I was lucky enough to see this film in a sold-out screening at my local independent cinema (everyone wearing masks and spaced at least two seats apart) and a movie like this demands that shared experience. That is the beauty of cinema, it can change your outlook on life. Even if it only changes it in the smallest of ways, even if it only changes it for a day, it can have a positive impact on you mentally unlike many other things in the world. ‘Soul’ is a film about realising that life isn’t all about fulfilling goals, it is about living every moment with the joy and vigour that you would if you knew it was your last, and that is a message that transfers onto the audience when they leave the film. Cinema is truly one of the only things that can have that sort of profound and immediate impact on someone, and that is why it must never die. – Sam Howe
Rating: 4.5/5
‘Soul’ had its world premiere at the London Film Festival. It will debut on Disney+ on December 25.