The Reel Rejects - SOUL (2020) MOVIE REVIEW - A MUSICIAN WATCHES PIXAR’S MOST EXISTENTIAL MOVIE! -FIRST TIME WATCHING

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Starting point is 00:00:30 Not available in all states. Have you ever looked at some of the most successful women and wondered how did she get there? And how does she make it all work? Well, here we have some answers. I'm Karen Feinerman, the host of how she does it. You may have seen me on CNBC's Fast Money. Every woman I admire has a story, a pivot that challenged her, a risk that paid off. On the podcast, I sit down with CEOs and industry leaders who are carving their own paths,

Starting point is 00:00:58 and they share with us how they build lives of impact, meaning, and financial success. So join us. Subscribe to how she does it with me, Karen Feinerman, wherever you listen to podcasts. Watching it's sober. Let's go. Paul was David Diggs. All right, guys. Well, we have watched Pixar's. So. Does me holding any on. Thank you guys for joining us once again. You get the full reaction watch for long.

Starting point is 00:01:38 We sing with your own copy out of Patreon. Thank you guys for supporting us. Sing it with your own copy. Jackie hasn't bought a shirt yet. I have to buy it. That's right. We never give them a lick to anyone here. We're always like, you pay out of your own pocket.

Starting point is 00:01:51 Take that check. And you buy yourself. And then we'll see if we want you to come back. Oh, man. Jackie. You invited me on the show just to get me to buy it. shirt. That's mainly how we sell every shirt is that way. Smart. Smart. What, uh, what, where would you want to start with this? You were, towards the end of the movie, we were talking a lot

Starting point is 00:02:13 about the themes of the experience. You want to elaborate a little bit more on, on that in any capacity? Yeah, I mean, I just thought it was such a beautiful, beautiful film. And I really love any, I guess I'll call it a drama, any drama that sort of examines the feelings of grief around your life and also like a willingness to live and a passion for life in the purest sense of it just like living every day the little things you know I love any film that

Starting point is 00:02:44 that um dissect that like it's a wonderful life there's another film that I can't remember the name of that is on my litter boxed then maybe I can look up but letterbox not litter box I didn't say litter box sounded like litter box it sounded like litter box it's in my litter box it's in my litter box My litter box.

Starting point is 00:03:02 My cat's little box. Not my cats. My litter box. Make sure that's my territory. It's my territory. But, no, I mean, it was just, it was, it was gorgeous. And I really didn't think that they were going to give him another chance at the end. And I thought that that was so.

Starting point is 00:03:19 I was such a surprise. That was such a surprise because I feel like usually with these films, the entities, the powers that be, are much more strict with the rules. And I like that they, it just, it was such a feel good movie. They were like, you were going to give me another shot. Go ahead. Yeah. I really thought, seriously, I did not recall how that, how most of this goes. What I remember was him falling, and it was in the trailer where he, like, falls down the pothole and then he's dead.

Starting point is 00:03:49 That's what I remember. It was that he's dead. I didn't think that, I didn't know what this movie was about going into it. And I was really surprised when he died. Even when he fell into the pothole, I was like, oh, he's going to pop that guy. up. Yeah. He didn't. Well, like the way they tell the way they illustrate, they have to write that fine line because, you know, everyone has their own spiritual religious beliefs. Some people believe that even just on the scientific level, if you're not spiritual, that our bodies are just, we're just a composite of energy. So somehow we are redistributed back to the earth in its own way. Well, matter cannot be created or destroyed. Yes. Yes. That's why we all matter. Put that out of a shirt. That's why we're here.

Starting point is 00:04:37 Drop the deep thoughts. Words of wisdom today. What did you think about it on the second time? Well, I don't even remember what I thought about it on the first time. Oh, okay. All the weed. Other than the fact that it was a good movie. Good.

Starting point is 00:04:54 Yeah, I'm trying to even think what I even thought of the first time. But on this go around, it's one of those experiences where there's like those messages to mine. like if you look on the days of YouTube and just like social media in general, self-help personal development has been like a thriving market in so many ways. And stuff like this is the kind of thing where, of course, logically can speak on a lot of it, you know, have how to, I've appreciated little things in life and then a lot of times we conflate career with purpose. I'm at that point of my life now where I do really want to get, I'm still like so much of my back of my brain is very much trapped there. And I feel like there's this part.

Starting point is 00:05:43 I feel like I'm always at a duality. There's always like two of me, you know, like I know that this will not bring me happiness, but why am I still in like the cycle of pursuing something that will not bring me happiness, you know? And so when I watch something like this, I don't want to like let the messages go, but it's so easy to default back to these. other ways. And I, so an experience something like this, I hope for that, like, life change. And it's up to me to remember. Like, I have to do so much daily disciplines in my life in order to keep my, the way my brain naturally works from, like, upbringing and such. You're talking about

Starting point is 00:06:17 nature versus nurture. I have to, like, train my brain to think a certain way, how to focus a certain way. A gratitude is a discipline for me. Like, to actually remember and actively be grateful. Yeah. It's like a thing I have. to do and it's because those are not my defaults i i'm a very much like an anxious depressed hyper focus yeah what's the next thing you know do this i am the anxiety balls that it turns into and i have to do so much to like change my state of being to yeah like the other day when you showed up uh to film yeah i was like hey no i'm gonna go in this room and breathe for like three minutes like i have to do shit like that that seems weird to people but i like no it's just one of my

Starting point is 00:07:00 many techniques. It's just grounding. It's crucial. Yeah. And it's like, because sometimes people pick up on it in the comments, too, like, Greg looks off. He looks sad. He looks sad. He looks poor. I'm like, I'm sorry. I'm fucking got life and I'm here now. I saw some comments that were like, he needs to get some sleep. Yeah, I get that sometimes too. Yeah. He needs to slow down. Yeah. Well, something that I really love and appreciate that this film touched on was the lost souls. It wasn't just people that lost their purpose. It was also the other end of people that became too obsessive with what they were meant to be doing that then it did the opposite. That's what scares me about this. I took like a year off acting because I got too obsessed and hyper

Starting point is 00:07:42 fixated on it and it just got to the point where I was so burned out and it no longer brought me joy. So I had to take a huge step back and I'm only just now getting back. into it, you know, and finding the joy in it that I once had. Has it been rewarding? The break. Have you been finding that the break has been beneficial? I think the break was hugely beneficial because it kind of, I mean, I didn't choose to focus more on music until after the break.

Starting point is 00:08:08 Oh. You know, because it's kind of stripped me down completely to building everything back up from scratch and then refocusing, like, what do I like, what do I enjoy more doing on a day-to-day? Not which end goal would I rather have, but when I live my life daily, as I'm pursuing both of these things, which one brings me more joy? And I realized that music brought me way more joy. So how has been creating music been for you since then? It's been fantastic. Actually fantastic. Actually fantastic because I sort of, I put off wanting to start it for so long because I was focused on an end goal and like, am I going to be good enough? And instead, I've gone about it as in, well, I like doing this. And as long as I like the product that I I make and I like the songs that I make and I'm having fun working with my band, my musicians and my producer, you know, that's what matters. Yeah. It's less about creating a product that I think other people will like and more just we are having fun every day as we get to make music together, you know? So if you've managed to find a way to bring it back to doing it for you and enjoying the

Starting point is 00:09:15 process of it all. Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah, you know, that concept of flow state is is very, very true. I wasn't a kid growing up saying I want to have a YouTube channel. YouTube wasn't even a thing. I didn't even know you can monetize until like a year and a half in a do with this. Someone told me there's a button you can hit. It was just a button. I was like, what do you mean?

Starting point is 00:09:36 I can enable this. It was so different back that. I had no idea. And then it's like this has become like my career right now. But my passion has always been with writing. And then like even yesterday I found myself back in writing. enjoying it because because there was a period where it felt like I'm at this age and I need to fucking I want to change life and I got to I got to complete I got to I got to do and now now I am back

Starting point is 00:10:03 I do find like like the last thing I finished it took me like a year to finish I didn't even show to anyone I was like no I just enjoyed it it it's just for me it's just for me this thing I labored on every day for the last year I don't want anyone to read it no one can read it yeah but yeah that is um as are all very very very good points and uh i i just i thought the film was a was a beautiful experience because gorgeous like there's like that cool metaphorical way of i just like i was tripping me out on the levels of him trying to like help himself as the cat but now he's gathering new experiences because he's he's able to see his own body living this life through this cat's eyes but he's also going to get these memories and because he's naturally a feeler and a mentor, he's also now

Starting point is 00:10:52 instilling lessons in her where she's going to learn about life. Like it was this weird orboris effect that was just so like, uh, that was just so like of a trip. And done in a way that it felt like, uh, it was also like easy to follow and understand. I felt this could have gotten like a little too complex. A little too convoluted and like all over the place. But no, it felt, yeah, it felt very easy and simple to follow even the more abstract parts of it. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:11:21 Like the Australian guy. Terry. Terry. Terry. Terry. I don't know who Rachel House is. I don't know who that is. The guy girl. Wow. Rachel House. No idea. But what did you think about the? I was like Jazz. This makes sense. Jackie. I actually wanted more jazz and I'm not kidding.

Starting point is 00:11:41 I thought they're, I did want more jazz. What I remember was the. You were like, I remember I remember like the jazz sequences more. I was like, oh, what's all this life? I wanted even more jazz. I wanted every single piece of the score underneath to be jazz. Well, I think jazz is very telling. More jazz.

Starting point is 00:12:01 More jazz. But what did you think of the music that was here? I did. I loved it. I just wanted even more. That's how much I loved it. It was funny. I like how they distinguished the jazz between what the performances were versus the jazz that

Starting point is 00:12:13 were just in the scenes when they would like have this handheld Realistic effect, but it also had this like anxiety. And do, I like, I like a, uh, uh, compose composition, music composition on a film where I could hear the orchestra. I could feel like the orchestra's like they're playing. It has to have the vibe like they're improvising with the movie. I wonder how much I would love to know more about how they went around, how the composer for this film went about composing the music.

Starting point is 00:12:43 Was some of it improvised? Did they get a bunch of jazz musicians in a room and let him go? True. Maybe like had them do a couple different improvisational takes and then pick which one worked. Yeah. Yeah. Because especially in that first scene when he's like jazzing it up with Dorothy. Did they write an improv song?

Starting point is 00:13:05 Yeah. Like or what's, or did they improvise it and then weave it in? Well, my guess is that they like had the keys and then they would say, you know, here's the, it's four chords on. A, and then it's eight chords on C sharp major seventh, I don't know. You don't do music. You're full of shit. But I wonder, too. And then also because it's an animated film, I'm like, which came first, you know, the composition or the animation.

Starting point is 00:13:34 Yeah. And how much were those two, you know, how much did you play off of each other? How did you feel about him living? Living at the end? I'm of two minds. What are you at? Well, I want to give him another chance, but then again, also part of me, I wish that he had a slightly bigger realization about how a bit selfish he was being, especially towards 22. Hmm.

Starting point is 00:13:59 You don't think he was, he realized that without him having to say? Well, no, I felt that he was remorseful, but. I thought his, like, actions demonstrated that. I wanted, yeah, I just wanted a, I guess I just wanted more of a glimpse into what are his next steps, you know. I think that's kind of the point, right? Is that to not get so focused on the next steps and just appreciate the actual moment? And see that the life that he's been living is actually, like when he tells his mom, life means nothing or whatever, and she was so heartbroken by that.

Starting point is 00:14:30 I think that was like the purpose of it is for him to realize he actually has an all right life. Yeah. Like he's helping out kids and he still gets to play music. But he might not be like known as like the jazz guy. around the world, but he still gets to do what he loves. He gets to do what he loves on a day-to-day basis and touch lives. Yeah. In the same way that maybe he would have wanted to if he was a huge, famous around-the-world musician.

Starting point is 00:14:55 Yeah, I didn't really, like, think of all that until, like, I mean, like, that was my thought. But, like, until you said that, but that is, like, now that I look back on it, that seems to be the arc of it, right? Mm-hmm. At first, I was like, I kind of wish he just died because I think that might have hit home for the adults, like, should, I got to live my life. But on the second chance... I do agree with that.

Starting point is 00:15:15 That feels like a different movie. It's a different movie. Yeah, it's a different movie. It's a different movie. But for like a family film. And then as an adult going, oh, yeah, you know, it's not too late to like have a second chance again. Slow down. I do know the adult version movie of that. Can I look it up?

Starting point is 00:15:34 It's on my letterbox. It's going to drive me... Oh, I remember. It's called Nine Days. Nine Days. Very similar. Oh, wait. have heard of this very similar premise i think i've seen the poster it's about as far as i go

Starting point is 00:15:48 it's about a guy who gets to choose he interviews different souls for nine days and then he gets to choose who he sends to earth who gets to live a life oh damn it's it's a great i love the film oh my god it's a fantastic film it's more of an adult version but same similar type of presence premise if you're peeing in your litter box right now what would you rate this movie in your letterbox what would you write your P I'm really I'm I'm stingy with my fives

Starting point is 00:16:21 4.5 okay I'm stingy do you know what you would write what would I write? I'd probably write beautiful film very reminiscent of nine days which is in my top four and then I would say wish there was more jazz perfect that's what I would say perfect should I go write it

Starting point is 00:16:39 if there's anything you're going to get a bigger following on. I'll be your letterbox. Don't go to her music. Just go to her letterbox. Don't go to my Instagram. We can get you a huge letterbox. A huge. I'm going to become elite letterbox reviewer, man.

Starting point is 00:16:56 We got this for you. That'd be cool. All right, guys. Well, so glad we got our experience this, Jackie. We've been mixing it up. Mixing it up on genres. It might be good for her. Guys, comment down below.

Starting point is 00:17:09 What ways can you appreciate life more? Or quit being a little wimp and go after your goals, you pansy. You panzy. Yeah, you ain't nothing. And today's successes are tomorrow's history. Yeah. You're getting very negative. It's cynical here, Greg.

Starting point is 00:17:27 This is this culture, people. I thought you were supposed to be inspired after this film. No, no, right back to where I was, 22, two hours ago. Hustle culture, baby. Andrew Tates of the world up in here. That's what This kind of audience soul has Anyway guys

Starting point is 00:17:44 Absolutely that is the Follow Jackie You'll see you guys Bye Can you go to the bathroom again Fly Probably always Are there a Patreon question

Starting point is 00:17:54 Oh my god I didn't even think about it Yeah I'm like hello Oh damn I was like Oh we're doing it separate this time No shit

Starting point is 00:18:03 I got my next shoot in like 10 minutes I totally forgot Oh damn you're so Oh shit There's a few Okay Hold on We got to do this.

Starting point is 00:18:11 It's my fault. So sorry. Ethan T. Hey, Ethan. You're a great guy. He wants me to watch that monkey movie, Better Man. I love this movie when it came out,

Starting point is 00:18:22 really hit hard and still does when I'm going through things. It makes me appreciate life as someone who struggles to find the spark. This movie felt really special. We love to hear how it has affected you guys. We have unfortunately really elaborated on. And I'm so sorry. My friend. Should have read that question first.

Starting point is 00:18:41 But yes, we tribute the whole review to you. It's all for you, Ethan. All for you. You know, we know, this is the first for me to forget all the questions. I'm so sorry, guys. I'm so fucking sorry. I remembered. Read Master T's.

Starting point is 00:18:56 Okay, Master T says, I really like this movie. I think it's one of the better Pixar movies to have come out recently compared to the others. However, I think the movie would have been better if Joe would have stayed dead at the end when he gives the pass back to 22 instead of getting another chance at life. do you agree or disagree Greg agrees Well it was multi-layered agreements And then understanding that There's a different movie called nine days

Starting point is 00:19:19 That would do that Wanted Master T, you would love nine days What I normally do is I like to Slim after a while we're reviewing I said my quick scan the questions To be like alright I don't talk about that yet Because I know it's gonna come up into questions Then we'll really elaborate then

Starting point is 00:19:35 And I'm sorry we have we have greatly elaborated I feel bad I feel bad I'm guilt prone and I feel really guilty right now. We haven't touched on the next question. We haven't. We haven't. Maddie, I pulled like a baby watching this. Life is so short and I often spend a lot of time looking back,

Starting point is 00:19:51 even though I am still very young, early 20s. And I regret a lot of things. Are you saying that because you're, okay. What's the legacy you want to leave behind? Whether it's something that inspires people, a physical object with meaning, or what you want people to remember you by. Oh, wow.

Starting point is 00:20:08 What a deep question. Do you know your answer? I have an answer. Please. One thing, Maddie, so I really do think that the grief in this film does touch so deeply on that idea of, like, being so young and yet regretting a lot of things. And I think one of the most important, you know, lessons that he does learn throughout the film is just instead of living in regret or living in the potential of the future, it is just about appreciating the little moments. And for me, one of the biggest ways that I feel like I am able to live my life and feel very fulfilled. it is I always live my life by thinking about the ripple effect. So just doing a kind act or just

Starting point is 00:20:48 being kind to one person on the street, then in turn might make them kinder to other people. And it just spreads and spreads and spreads. And I think that that's the legacy that I want to live by, you know, just trying every day to be a kind person and, you know, doing my best. Someone whose friends are Republicans and Democrats. I don't get it. That's my legacy. That's your legacy. Yeah, that I can be friends with both sides.

Starting point is 00:21:14 Both sides. Oh. Mainly Republican. I was... I think my life currently is, is, uh, someone who wants to seem like I don't take a life too seriously, but I take life way too serious. You come off, you don't come off like that, just so you're really aware. You're like, why?

Starting point is 00:21:42 Everyone, right time. in the comments how little Greg comes off like that. Like I wish I came off like that. I have a big sense of humor though. I guess I'd like people to. I feel like I have a wide array of friends. And I use that joking Republican and Democrats. But I do have a wide array of friends.

Starting point is 00:22:01 And I like to be known as someone who took the time to always try to understand someone else who is different from my inner circle or for me in total. I do like to try to understand someone no matter what. and hopefully make and where they're coming from and maybe why they operate the way that they do instead of just going, enemy.

Starting point is 00:22:20 Yeah, so I can manipulate and use them in the future. You know, that's the power of understanding and empathy. You can weaponize it. No.

Starting point is 00:22:28 The things you can get people to do here. No. Without paying them. It's incredible. No. All right. Yann Victor,

Starting point is 00:22:35 you want to read the last? Yon Victor says, I really enjoyed this movie and I feel like it flew under the radar largely because it was released during the pandemic. After watching this movie, do you think that there's a distinction between someone's spark versus their purpose? Is it necessary to have one or both?

Starting point is 00:22:52 Oh, wow. What a really good. That's a really good question. Hmm. I would say that the way that I, I've kind of intellectualized the spark as your internal want to continue and the purpose as something more external and relating to community and how you fit into the world. That's how I'm thinking about the two of them. I feel like a lot of people might flip-flop those, though. Oh, boy. I'm trying to think not like what would be the right answer, but what is my answer? And I feel like a spark is the feeling and a purpose is the thing you must do.

Starting point is 00:23:40 I don't know if that makes any sense. Really? I feel like they can go hand in hand, though. I think they go hand in hand, but I feel like, I don't know. I guess the spark is very personal and it's why you do what you do and maybe the purpose is more how you operate. I'll say a good friend, a good. I feel like one of my many purposes is to write. Even if that means I don't have a writing career, I know there's something in me that feels like it has to write.

Starting point is 00:24:05 So when I get that spark of an idea that I'm like, I keep thinking about, I keep feeling it, My purpose is through fulfilling that by putting it on the page. That's kind of like what I mean by distinguishing the two. But they're the same. They're one and the same. It's like mind-feeling action. And I would kind of put spark in the mind and feeling and the purpose being action-driven. That's just how I interpret it.

Starting point is 00:24:27 And I said this would be mine. And then Jackie was like, really? And that's not what it is. No, I'm sorry. My purpose is to be mean to Greg. My purpose is to make sure people think the way. I do. Everything.

Starting point is 00:24:42 No. Anyway, that's it for day. Who'd you vote for this electioneer? We'll talk to you later. Sorry to the royal rejects for effing that up there. You guys.

The Reel Rejects - SOUL (2020) MOVIE REVIEW - A MUSICIAN WATCHES PIXAR’S MOST EXISTENTIAL MOVIE! -FIRST TIME WATCHING

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