Soul

 

Soul (Disney)

Soul is a “ computer-animated fantasy comedy-drama” produced by Pixar. It is absolutely wonderful. As they say it is a film for all ages. This is another Pixar gem.  It is about finding purpose in life and being true to what you want to be. Aside from these serious themes the movie is funny and the animation beautiful. Soul is in the tradition of other great Pixar movies: Toy Story, Up and Monsters Inc.

For an animated film, the story is involved. Joe Gardner is a band teacher whose passion is to be part of a jazz ensemble. He has a fatal  accident and winds up on the conveyor belt to the Great Beyond. After some adventures he meets 22 in the Great Before who is a soul looking for the spark to complete her badge of traits so she can go to earth. To complete her training 22 has been coached  by some of the great minds in history and their interaction is hilarious. Joe and 22 manage to go back to earth but wind  up in the wrong bodies and 22 inhabits Joe’s body and Joe winds up in a therapy cat. The interaction between the two is the heart of the movie.

The voice actors are first class. Jamie Foxx  voices  Joe Gardner, Tina Fay voices 22, Questlove is the drummer and Phylicia Rashard is Joe’s mother. There are these soul councilors in the Great Before all named  Jerry and one dogged accountant who keeps an accurate tally of all souls who are bound to the Great Beyond. Like Toy Story the intended audience is universal.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

There must be a special place in hell for people who make misleading movie trailers. This movie is falsely advertised as a Tina Fey comedy. The Tina Fey part is true, the comedy part is false. This film is a dull Afghan war correspondent movie with hints of comedy. The majority of these comedic gems can be seen for free in movie and TV ads. What is left is a listless war film without direction or heart (they needed two directors for this film, only God knows why).

Tina Fey is a news writer from New York who volunteers to go to Afghanistan as a war correspondent and stays for three years. She becomes addicted to the rush of war. All the clichés are present. She catches her fiancés being unfaithful on Skype (wait, that’s funny); there are torrid alcoholic infused parties (no Talibans were harmed in the making of this movie); casual and uncasual sex; the horrors of war, but not too many since this is a comedy.

Why do they need A listed stars to make this shlock? Margot Robbie is the camp trampoline; Billy Bob Thornton is the tough but soft hearted general; Martin Freeman is the hard drinking Scottish photo journalist who is Fay’s lover. In the Hobbit he plays Bilbo Baggins; now Bilbo having sex that’s funny! Alfred Molina plays a corrupt Afghan minister who is nearly unrecognizable with his beard and hair blending into one big mop.

So why did I go see this movie? Tina Fey is a smart and funny comedian, so I went with the brand. Too bad movies do not come with a list of ingredients.