SOUL Review

Disney and Pixar have always had a tradition of being innovative if not groundbreaking, but with their latest - Soul - the animation studio pushes itself to what is unquestionably the most existential ground they've ever broken. What might have driven writing/directing duo Pete Docter (Up, Inside Out) and Kemp Powers (One Night in Miami...) to not only address death outright in an animated movie seemingly intended for children, but place it front and center as the biggest hurdle our protagonist has to overcome in the context of the film is a curious strategy. It's bold to say the least, but by the time my wife and I were a mere thirteen minutes in we were already convinced this would be far too much for our six year-old to handle as she already bursts into spontaneous tears at bedtime before bringing up that she doesn't want to lose her mom and dad to what Soul refers to as "The Great Beyond". It's not hard to understand why the ambition to tackle such difficult subject matter is present as movies are more than capable of being counseling and coping tools, but the question I was left to ponder as Jon Batiste's wonderful rendition of  "It's All Right" played over the closing credits was why Docter and Powers along with co-writer Mike Jones felt it necessary to try and steer children through the reality of death by barreling into the topic headfirst rather than finding an avenue through which to better explore the more prevalent themes like the idea of success equaling satisfaction or notoriety equaling credibility. There are glimpses of these ideas early on as we're introduced to Joe Gardner (voice of Jamie Foxx) and witness him wrestling with a conflict that pits his need for gratification against a more enduring legacy, but Soul quickly transitions to feeling as if Docter took the concept of Inside Out (as well as some of the character designs) and applied it to the afterlife as opposed to personifying emotions. It's like if a band started re-configuring their "greatest hits" while only being three full-length studio albums into their career; you want to remind the people why they fell in love with you in the first place, but you don't want your sound to stop growing and evolving. That isn't to say Soul finds fault for a lack of growth or evolution, but given the ethereal feel of this world we've never seen before along with the fact the film kills off its lead in the first half hour in order to answer questions about the meaning of life it would seem that, upon the film's conclusion, that some of the answers to those big questions would be a little more deeply felt, that they might tug at the heart strings a little more, or maybe even touch something deep inside ones...soul.     

WONDER Review

Sometimes we forget there is more to the movies than entertainment. Sometimes, it seems, we forget that there can be more to a story than information, simple insight, or distraction, but rather that a story can genuinely move you. I mean, truly move you to the point it inspires a change in mentality, a refreshed outlook, or even just a slight alteration in compassion. As sappy and excessively sweet as it may sound that is what Wonder does. It is a movie that has all the trappings of a melodramatic dramedy that plays on the sentimentalities of the audience in false ways and if you're a seasoned movie-goer of any kind it's easy to see why this would be pinpointed as such. The trailers and other marketing material have made Wonder look like something that ranks somewhere between a Hallmark made-for-TV movie and an after school special that serves to show children the repercussions of bullying, but walking out of the theater it is beyond evident that this movie is so much more than these dismissive descriptions would have you believe. Wonder never succumbs to the sappiness of it all, but more importantly is when it does reach for its peak emotional moments or dare to try to move the audience-it owns it completely. Wonder is a movie aware of what it is meant to do without being self-aware in the slightest. The word is humble. Wonder is a movie that defines being respectable without having to feel like it needs to announce its importance; it just is. Manipulative by nature, but unassuming and wholly modest in its execution writer/director Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) finds the perfect balance in understanding the specifics of what his movie is intended to accomplish while making the audience wholly aware of it without flat-out exploiting their emotions. As a dad though, this thing hit me right where it was supposed to and while I understand that what is presented on screen is to a large degree a completely manufactured world where the schools are exaggerated, family time is strictly mandated, and there seems no financial concerns whatsoever these are also all things that aren't critical to the main idea and morality that the film is trying to convey and much can be forgiven when your movie promotes a simple idea like kindness this well and moves you this effectively.

First Trailer for WONDER Starring Julia Roberts & Owen Wilson

Just the other day I received a text from my wife asking if I'd heard anything about an upcoming movie called Wonder. Of course, what I immediately thought of was next week's Wonder Woman, but she knew about that and certainly wasn't questioning whether or not I'd heard of the next big comic book movie. So, what was this Wonder she spoke of and why did it all of a sudden seem to be the cause for much excitement when anticipating movies wasn't typically something she made a hobby out of? Turns out my wife, who is a high school librarian and read A LOT was in the midst of the novel of the same name that this adaptation is based on. The book, a New York Times bestseller, by author RJ Palacio, is by all accounts a solid piece of work that is genuinely moving and heartfelt and the first trailer for the film would have me believe nothing else. With Steve Conrad (The Pursuit of Happyness, The Weather Man) writing the screenplay and novelist/writer/director Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) taking on the material the film version of this story about a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time is certainly in strong hands. The trailer is appropriately schmaltzy, but never comes off as manipulative or overly sappy and hopefully the film in its entirety can very much do the same-balancing the inspiring and the sincerity with one another to the point of true effectiveness. It also doesn't hurt that Lionsgate and Chbosky have been able to attract a dynamite cast that not only includes Jacob Tremblay hot off the success of his first major role in Room, but also the inspiring choice of Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson (who have never worked together before) play the central character's parents. Wonder also stars Mandy Patinkin, Daveed Diggs, Sonia Braga, Izabela Vidovic, Ali Liebert, Bryce Gheisar, Millie Davis, and opens on November 17, 2017.