No matter how you slice it, 2020 has been a tough slog for most of the world, and there are many challenges ahead. While there has been no shortage of great cinema over the last several months, we’re overdue for a feel-good movie. Enter Pixar’s “Soul,” which was previewed for some American journalists this week in advance of its December release on Disney+.
Co-directed by Pete Docter (“Inside Out”) and Kemp Powers (“One Night in Miami”), the imaginative story of a jazz musician attempting to avoid the afterlife marks the first Pixar movie with a Black lead, and blends its lively celebration of music with a broader emotional drama about finding purpose in life. All of that means it’s bound to resonate in the midst of Oscar season, and not only in the animation category.
In this week’s episode of Screen Talk, Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson escape the anxiety of the election by discussing the merits of “Soul” — doing their best to avoid any big spoilers — and how it compares to some of the other contenders this season.
Listen to the full episode below.
Screen Talk is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Soundcloud. You can subscribe here or via RSS. Share your feedback with Thompson and Kohn on Twitter or sound off in the comments. Browse previous installments here, review the show on Apple Podcasts and be sure to let us know if you’d like to hear the hosts address specific issues in upcoming editions of Screen Talk. Check out the rest of IndieWire’s podcasts on Apple Podcasts right here.
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