In the new Pixar film “Soul”, philosophical questions brave the world of souls and jazz.
Los Angeles (dpa) l What is the meaning of life? What makes a person? Is there a return from the afterlife? What is it like to live in “Beyond”? This curious word creation says it all: “Soul”, the 23rd full-length Pixar animated film, takes you into wonderful worlds that can only be created by the talents of the Californian animation company.
With “Everything is upside down” Oscar winner Pete Docter dared an adventurous journey into the head and into the subconscious of an eleven year old girl. Now the director oscillates between the “on the side”, where souls are drilled for their life on earth, and the New York jazz scene, where a frustrated music teacher chases the dream of a great jazz career. “Soul” raises a lot of philosophical questions.
Child-friendly material? “Quite complex stuff,” admits the director, who also staged “Die Monster AG” and “Oben”, in an interview with dpa and other media. “But children are really smart and I think we adults often underestimate what they can pick up”.
“Soul” still has to overcome another hurdle: It should be the Disney cinema Christmas hit, but due to the corona, it is now the first Pixar feature film that will not be released on the big screen, but via streaming (from December 25th at Disney +).
A child-friendly film?
But the teacher Joe Gardener, the rebellious soul 22 and the orange tabby house cat Mr. Mittens should easily manage to banish young and old in front of the screen.
Joe (in the original film with the voice of Oscar winner Jamie Foxx) goes to great lengths to get his students excited about music. But his whole life he dreams of becoming famous as a jazz pianist. There is a great chance when he is allowed to audition for a gig alongside a legendary saxophonist in a club and actually gets the gig.
While he is walking happily through the streets of New York, a missing manhole cover seals his fate – Joe disappears into the afterlife “on the best day of his life”. The Pixar artists counter the rich, warm and ultra-realistic look of New York with a completely wacky underworld.
Joe, now a blue-green being, arrives in the mystical “Beyond”, a pastel-colored world that is populated by small souls. Visually, the Pixar creative team goes far beyond conventional animation. Three-dimensional stick figures with a cubist paintwork guide the soul world.
In a kind of boot camp, the souls, jumping like bouncy balls, are given talents by mentors and prepared for their life on earth. Only soul 22 does not want to know anything about it. “Earth sounds stupid”, she would rather continue to live as before without feelings, interests or personality. Not even Joe can infect 22 with his lust for life and his passion for worldly things. Maybe the smell of fresh pizza? That doesn’t work either, because in “Davorseits” you can neither taste nor smell.
The new Pixar film tackles it
What luck for soul 22, Joe and the audience when the duo find their way back to the lively New York life. Mr. Mittens on four paws is also added by swapping bodies. With speed and wit, “Soul” leads into a black barbershop, into Joe’s mother’s tailoring workshop and back to the jazz stage.
Pete Docter has brought the black playwright and screenwriter Kemp Powers (“One Night in Miami”) on board as co-director. The American jazz musician Jon Batiste, who has played with greats like Stevie Wonder and John Legend, contributed the jazz compositions. The Oscar-winning musicians Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (“The Social Network”) provided the soundtrack.
Docter has already won two Oscars for the best animated feature film with “Top” and “Everything is upside down”. He deserves the third for the rousing scenes when Joe at the piano is completely absorbed in his music.
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