Soul
This story of the value of life begins in an idealised New York City where Joe ( Jamie Foxx ) is tutoring music to school kids. Even the Disney “When you wish upon a star” theme is rendered on badly-played instruments. Joe is about to be made a permanent member of the school staff, much to the pleasure of his mother. Then the secret dream that he’s always harboured—to play with one of the greats—presents itself and whilst bursting with happiness and not looking where he’s going, Joe falls down an open manhole and dies. The worlds beyond are visually weird, almost like experimental animation. And set against this are jokes about rebranding and training (including “You Seminars”)—as if the route to heaven or “h, e, double-hockey-sticks” is a modern business. Beforehand, the depiction of New York, the apartments, schools, jazz clubs (“Nice…”) and streets are all beautiful. Finding himself in the Great Beyond and unwilling to accept it, Joe escapes and ends up in the Great Before, which...