Soul

"Soul" is about a musician who is transported out of his body and he must find his way back into actually living. This film is transcending the depths of Pixar's most introspective animations. Every facet comes together beautifully to create an emotional symphony, resulting in a heartbreakingly optimistic narrative. It feels like too much for kids, but the script allows it all to come together beautifully with the emotionally powerful third act, including a heartwarming tear-inducing score and a relatable, well-explored story about the meaning of life. "Soul" may not have the laugh-out-loud sense of humor as other Pixar greats do, but it will touch hearts nonetheless.

A fabulous story about a near-death experience, with some conventional and some interestingly non-conventional statements about life and the afterlife. I really appreciated the major lesson that Joe/Joe's Soul/22 learn over the course of the movie: that one's "spark," or inner motivation, isn't the same as obsession about something (like getting a great gig), because obsession drives many people to become lost souls, despite still living. This observation is made explicitly by one of the "Jerries:" divine(?) beings who control the "Great Before" where souls go before their incarnation, whose straight-line forms suggest computer vector graphics; but they also appeal to quantum mechanics as if to a divine law. These angels of science aren't evil, per se, although the cosmic accountant Terry reminds me of a gnostic demiurge, a being of imperfect knowledge striving for "justice" rather than "mercy." In any case, Soul is enveloped by non-denominational, quasi-scientific, and morally ambiguous pre- and post-mortem realms and their governing angels.

Despite their imperfections, the "Jerries" mean well, and prove their good will at the end, when they offer Joe another chance at living after he selflessly concedes his "badge" (and thus his life) to 22, whom he then shepherds into the next world. For much of the movie, especially when 22 inhabited Joe's body, I was convinced that Joe's body would survive, but that it would no longer be ensouled by his own soul, but by 22. That would have allowed some truly interesting reflections on the nature of personal identity, especially the inner dynamics of major changes to one's motivations and values in life.

This movie was, quite frankly, a wake up call. This is a Pixar film for adults and it comes with an incredibly important message. I loved it and I absolutely want to listen to that message. #Goodatwalking

This is a movie for everybody to remeber how marvellous life is.

I've always had this thing that I didn't really notice in other people: appreciating little things. Like the sunlight coming trough the windows and leaving rectangles on the wall. Or birds that I haven't heard in a while singing in the early spring. Or when a girl has really nice makeup and you tell them that and they smile. Or a hug. Or when parents laugh with/at each other and you could tell they still love each other. Or when you see a kid playing with a chicken and holding it while driving a toy car. Or walking in a forest and being mesmerized by all this ecosystem that has its own rules. Or when you find a gif of how neurons make connections. Or when someone looks at you with love. Like I was just staring at the comet Neowise last summer and I was crying because we don't get to see things like that very often.

Actually, I just really needed a positive movie, given that everything is pretty stressful right now... or always if you have anxiety. Life really is something. I hope I get the courage to go and really live it.

I can't put into words how close to home this movie hit for me. Not to sound pretentious, but it's more than a movie - it's a life lesson on how to live. It'll teach you that life isn't about careers, goals, passions, or achievements. It's about living, right here in this moment, exactly where you are.

The voice acting, animation, soundtrack, writing - all phenomenal. It is officially the greatest Pixar movie ever created in my book. Kids will enjoy it, but this one is for the older crowd. It's for anyone who's ever felt like their life has been a waste. That they've made too many mistakes, that they should have done something else, that it's too late to live. 10/10