Soul: A soulfoul celebration of life in a riveting storyline

Ever wondered what spark your need to fulfill the purpose of your life? Or what comes after that? Disney's Christmas release has explored these questions by juxtaposing the paradigm of two worlds and provoking genuine emotions.

Disney has always been tugging the heartstrings of its audience through its magical and ambitious movies year after year. Though Disney has received hefty criticisms over the years for various reasons (even during the pre-Pixar era), It always comes back to compensate every single time. For instance their new animated film, Soul compensates for the long delay that preceded it.

Watch the trailer of "Soul" here 

After the unexpected delay, Disney's Pixar studio finally premiered "Soul" on their fastest growing streaming service Disney plus. This is the first movie produced by Pixar studio which will not be released directly in theatres. Soul can be a game changer in promoting this platform and gaining more subscribers. 

After creating flicks like Up (2009), Inside Out (2015), Director Pete Docter with the talented co-director Kemp Powers came up with this surreal one. The movie features the black community in an aesthetically satisfying manner and gives  an allusion of the creative mind of the filmmaker.

The voice casts of this movie spontaneously blew life into those animated characters; allowing the movie to transcend beyond a mere animated movie produced for commercial purpose. Furthermore, Disney representing an African American man as the protagonist shows their willingness  to promote change and diversity.

While Soul may not be a Christmas themed movie but its heartwarming script will wrap you cozily around with a warm sensation. Given the constant instability that we went through in 2020, watching this movie is an apt way to alleviate our stress. 

The movie as it sounds, has introduced a unique concept where it exhibits a soul experiencing life and death. Also, it explores the passion and purpose of one's existence.

Initially, the plot depicts the mundane life and the adventurous afterlife of its main character: the middle school band teacher Joe gardener (Jamie Foxx) who happened to be a brilliant piano player. In his childhood, his father introduced him to the magical world of jazz to teach him its value in a black community. After that, Jazz had become an inevitable part of his soul. He wanted nothing but to amuse people by his musical prowess.

But fortune does not always favour the brave. Joe ends up living a typical life with a glimpse of hope that one day he'll spark through his talents. Nevertheless, when life finally gives him the shot he has always wanted, something unfortunate happens. 

He almost succumbs to death and his soul struggles to fight the unknown and untenable realities in a world where souls of different kinds meet. In that dreamy yet organized world, he finds a peculiar partner called 22 ( Tina Fey)  with whom he is about to experience an emotional rollercoaster ride. 

Also, there are few creatively built 2D characters in the movie who are all named Jerry. They are in charge of taking care of the new souls and the souls who'll reach the great beyond.

The climax this movie presents after forty minutes, can not be presumed by only watching its trailer. This movie obviously is not meant to be just an eye candy for the children; in fact, it should be a delightful treat for the adults  and critics as well. 

The narrative of this movie will not only uplift your mood but also will make you deeply connected to many of its emotional perspectives. You will eventually see Joe Gardener's soul evolving and eroding the boundaries of self-centeredness. The mingle of melancholy and optimism makes it an expedient movie to provide you solace at the end of this tough year.

Then, the sophisticated music accompanied with evocative animation makes it more enjoyable to watch. The opening credit scene with the vibing music is an astounding part of this film. Undoubtedly, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross deserve another Oscar after "The Social Network" as the soundtracks of this movie is exquisite  to say the least.

Many popular musicians including the legendary Jazz composer John Batiste's footage are gingerly shown in different scenes. Moreover, the hustling and bustling streets of New York have been used as the perfect backdrop for this movie.

Coming to its amazing animation, Disney has made major technological development in its cinematography by smoothening the special effects. The illustrations delicately presented riot of the city life, detailed CGI characters, the little things of our surrounding and even the simplistic bubbles of souls which makes it a visually appealing and evocative animation.
Obviously, being a Disney movie, it has the humourous and quirky comedic kicks. Still, the deep theme that is used in this film, covering some major adultish stuff like complex relationships, the concept of death, the harsh realities of life might not be as accessible to children as other movies of Pixar were. On account of that, MPA has provided this movie a PG rating. Hence, you might want to watch it before you aim to show it to your kids.

Soul is the perfect cherry to pick if you're aiming to rediscover yourself, want to embrace life or just want to spend your weekend joyfully with your loved ones. The inclusion of soothing Jazz blended with an utterly captivating plot will recharge any soul. Therefore, if you're about to sign up for Disney plus, it'll be worth it.