Starring: Stephanie Beatriz, Maria Cecilia Botero, Diane Guerrero, Angie Cepeda, John Leguizamo, Jessica Darrow, Wilmer Valderrama, Carolina Gaitan, Adassa, Ravi Cabot-Conyers
My Rating: 4.75/5 Stars
Rotten Tomatoes: 90% Critics, 94% Audience
Description: “The Madrigals are an extraordinary family who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia in a charmed place called the Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift — every child except Mirabel. However, she soon may be the Madrigals last hope when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is now in danger.”
Short Version:
Encanto is a beautiful movie that shows how capable Disney is of weaving a story into a culture. The results are nothing shy of magical, a movie made for the younger generations of adults, who face the same struggles as Mirabel and her sisters. It is well written, beautifully animated, and catchy, while handling some deep issues without infantilizing the film. The first movie Disney has made in the last few years that I am eager to watch again.
Long Version:
A friend said recently, that the magic of Encanto is that it appeals to the generation that is largely forgotten in film, Millennials (and Gen X to a lesser extent). I may not be able to speak to its intended audience, but I think the future will show that a lot of people my age, early to mid-twenties, will find this film resonates on a deep level. The themes that stand out? Healing from generational trauma, searching for a villain to blame for the trouble in life, finding out that everyone is as troubled as you are, no matter their façade, and learning to stand in your own strength. All of it hit something deeper in me, like the outtake from the extended Moana soundtrack claiming “there’s gotta be more”, there are things that young adults face that are so forgotten in media that it was nice to see it so cleanly represented, in a film that still has wide appeal. The uncertainty of the future, and finding a way to keep going was always the message of the film, and something that we each endure in turn.
So, that was a lot. Let’s pivot to the mechanics of the movie and get a little more detailed.
An integral part of this movie is the plot’s lack of a true villain, and the movement in the center toward Mirabel truly being the bad guy. The shifting of blame throughout the film, showing how each person in the family shoulders some of the weight for its current dysfunction is beautiful and well written. There is no villain in this story, and no real epic quest, but it builds into a beautiful crescendo of tension nonetheless.
Then there is the cultural emersion. The story could have been from any civilization, but they chose to represent South America and the persecution of a family who only wanted peace, a topical and historic theme to the area. The casita and the candle creating their refuge, then seeing it all threatened is a storyline that has never been told quite this way, but strip it down to its beginnings, and it is an immigrant/refugee story. Then there is the grounding details, the design of the house, the arepas so casually mentioned, the animals that come to Antonio when his gift is revealed, and the character design. The clothes each character wears places them so distinctly in the world. Seeing that translate into the music, weaving English and Spanish, is seamless. It is a movie that you don’t have to think about location, because it is so intrinsic to the film.
Next, lets riff off to the sisters. Each of Mirabel’s sisters was unhappy in her own distinct way. Mirabel felt like she was the black sheep of the family. Luisa felt crushed under the pressure placed on her shoulders. Even perfect Isabela feared making a single mistake and breaking the illusion of her absolute perfection. Yet they all feel deeply unhappy with their situation. Mirabel most visibly when she stood in the shadow as Antonio was invited into the light. She wanted to be accepted by her family, but never felt she was. Luisa’s song, “Surface Pressure”, and Isabella’s as well, showed these characters breaking free from their perceived calm.
I will say, that there were some very odd choices in the visual representation of these songs, especially Luisa dancing with a smile as she talks about being ready to lose it. I firmly believe it is to make an extremely tense song more palatable for children, but it came across as especially odd. There were a few other odd instances that kicked this movie down from a perfect 5 stars. Choices were made, and some of them… were a bit disruptive/out of place.
Yet, there were so many things to love about this film, and the music is a big part of it. I admit to being a big Lin Manuel Miranda fan, I would die on that hill, if he was there too. The integration of story, style, and different genres of music that made the characters’ voices so distinct took this movie up like six notches. From using the “introduce the family” song to show how outside the family Mirabel felt to the cool Salsa vibes of “We Don’t Talk about Bruno”. It is a new generation of Disney that doesn’t need only lyrical ballads telling us how a character feels, but can also see our protagonists express themselves through rap and rock and wordplay. *chef’s kiss* I love it.
Now, let’s wrap this all up with the visuals. Guys, this film is gorgeous. The design of the casita and the town, and the detail in the clothes are so beautiful, it saturates the film with pops of color and life, which is hard when 90% of the film takes place in one location, the Casita. The different designs of the rooms and the gold of the magic on the doors is a visual treat. Here are some stills that I love:
And we will end, as always with my favorite moments:
- Baby Mirabel walking up toward her door after talking with her grandmother.
- The coffee child.
- Mirabel knowing just where Antonio is before his ceremony
- Antonio asking Mirabel to walk with him, and the movement between her walk and his.
- Antonio talking to the toucan and riding the leopard
- The Casita always helping Mirabel with her shoes.
- Louisa finally revealing that she feels buried by the pressure her family places on her
- Pepa’s clouds.
- “You just healed my hand with a magic Arepa.”
- Bruno living in the walls with his extension of the table.
- The shifting prophecy.
- Isabela’s expression of her power surprising even her.
- Dolores pining after the boy Isabella is set to be engaged to.
- Abuela returning to the river to find Mirabel
- Mirabel finally opening her door.
All images belong to Disney and the production and animation companies. Thanks for stopping by an look out for more posts to celebrate Christmas!
Megan’s Musings 