Story by Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Charise Castro Smith, Jason Hand, Nancy Kruse and Lin-Manuel Miranda
Screenplay Written by Charise Castro Smith and Jared Bush
Directed by Jared Bush & Byron Howard Co-Directed by Charise Castro Smith
**** (four stars)
RATED PG
What would our lives be like if we were honestly able to deeply see ourselves and in turn, to be deeply seen? To not view ourselves or to be viewed through the lens of our own insecurities and misconceptions? To genuinely trust ourselves and to be trusted in the truth of our purest instincts? When seen and accepted as is, imagine what that would do to enhance our individualized and collective sense of self-worth as we all forge into our lives together in a greater sense of self-acceptance and communion.
Full confession: I am not what you might call a "Disney person." In fact, I never really have been. Do not get me wrong! As a child, there were Disney features, most notably "Peter Pan" (1953), that I enjoyed and adored. I also treasured this collection of storybook record albums which I listened to endlessly. But, the Wonderful World Of Disney was not necessarily one that I gravitated towards. Truth be told, my allegiance was to Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the more melancholic yet Wonderful World of "Peanuts" as created by Charles M. Schulz.
That being said, Disney is an unavoidable entity in our world, so much so, that I believe that one not need to even see the classic movies in order to gather a sense of what these creations actually are. Case in point, when Disney majestically rebounded on the animated film scene with a stream of films between the years of 1989-1999, now collectively known as the studio's "Renaissance Period," I can honestly tell you that I have not seen even one scene from " The Little Mermaid" (1989), "Beauty and the Beast" (1991), "Aladdin" (1992) or even "The Lion King" (1994) and yet, I know them all intimately and that was long before I began my life as a preschool teacher, where all things Disney are even more ever present. Even with Pixar's proximity to Disney, I never really considered them to necessarily be Disney films. Pixar felt to be its own entity to me. And so, anything under the official Disney banner, I tended to not pay terribly much attention...and once the juggernaut known as "Frozen" (2013) exploded, I just dug in my heels.
All of this preamble leads me to this point in time as "Encanto," officially the 60th Disney animated feature film, has arrived and not only to my own wonderment have I seen the film, I am absolutely thrilled to announce my full endorsement of said film as it is a miraculous achievement that superbly succeeds on multi-levels conceptually, aesthetically, culturally and emotionally. It is the type of film that proudly knows precisely what it is from its first image and never loses sight of itself all the way to the conclusion. It is overflowing with confidence, style, warmth, grace and empathy and is also the rare film that I would immediately watch again once the end credits ceased to scroll.
Disney's "Encanto," set within an undetermined time and a space, possibly standing in for rural Colombia, centers on the life and times of the Madrigal family. Led by the grand matriarch Abuela Alma Madrigal (voiced by Maria Cecilia Botero), the family serves their community from their sentient Casita which is hidden from the outside world and magically powered by an always shining magical candle.
For Alma's children and grandchildren, the candle presents each member of the family with a superhuman gift utilized to assist the townspeople. Daughter Julieta (voiced by Angie Cepeda) can heal through her cooking. The "overly-emotional" daughter Pepa (voiced by Carolina Gaitan) alters the weather. The glamorous 21 year old granddaughter Isabela (voiced by Diane Guerrero) can make flowers bloom anywhere and everywhere, her 19 year old sister Luisa (voiced by Jessica Darrow) possesses superhuman strength...and 15 year old sister Mirabel (exquisitely voiced by Stephanie Beatriz)?
Something unusual occurred upon the night when Mirabel was due to receive her magical gift...she didn't.
Ever since, Mirabel Madrigal has felt out of step, out of place and out of sync with her magical family despite her love and devotion to them and while loved in return, she is treated as such. What feels to be a lack of purpose in her life, inspires in Mirabel a continuous search for said purpose, one that feels to be truly set in motion by a vision of the Casita cracking, and the magical candle's flame being extinguished. Perhaps if Mirabel can unravel the mystery behind her vision, she can also discover what her gift actually is and if it has anything to do with her clairvoyant and long ostracized Uncle Bruno (voiced by John Leguizamo)...but we don't talk about him...no, no no!
As directed by Jared Bush, Byron Howard and Charise Castro Smith, Disney's "Encanto" is an absolute joy is it so effortlessly blends elements of fantasy, adventure, comedy, the movie musical, magical realism and luscious animation into an astoundingly real and deeply felt story of the life of a family and the search for oneself and one's place in the world when it feels to reject you.
As a work of animation that not only resonates but as a work that should exist as a timeless work of art, "Encanto" is first rate and one that I would hope would give other animation studios a bit of a healthy competitive poke when it comes to what sorts of films can be created. I am remembering a period when, for me, Pixar firmly represented the gold standard in American animation studios, the period in which they released nothing less than Brad Bird's "Ratatouille" (2007), Andrew Stanton's "Wall-E" (2008) and Pete Docter's "Up" (2009), films that never treated the work as product nor their audiences as consumers. And then, DreamWorks Animations arrived with Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois' absolutely magnificent "How To Train Your Dragon" (2010), a film that is a classic that stands on equal cinematic footing with the best Pixar had to offer, so much so, I hoped it would have inspired them to lookover their shoulders and keep raising their own bar.
In many ways, Pixar had taken the crown from Disney's animated films for quite some time. Even so, and aside from the towering achievements of Pete Docter's "Inside Out" (2015) and "Soul" (2020), Pixar, in my mind, has floundered far too long with visually resplendent yet creatively uninspired sequels and perhaps needs a competitive kick, and who better from the ones who really made the magic of animated films as we know them. Disney's "Encanto" is indeed that film and it just sparkles with a treasure trove of lush textures, dazzling colors and a constantly surprising inventiveness that lovingly accents the frequent comedy (a dinner sequence in particular had me cackling), makes the action snap and playfully shock, inspiring me to think of moments from Steven Spielberg's "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" (1981), and most importantly, the entire experiences flows and floats like the finest movie musical. And believe me, "Encanto" IS a terrific musical!!
For so many films, animated and otherwise, that have claimed to be musicals but are really just movies with songs, "Encanto" is unquestionably a movie musical that works within the same cinematic sphere as Jon M. Chu's euphoric "In The Heights" (2020) and Steven Spielberg's downright tremendous "West Side Story" (2020). Yes, it is a bonus and then some to have Lin-Manuel Miranda compose all of the songs--and trust me, ALL of them are first rate! The filmmakers understand that a musical is not just a bunch of songs strung together. The songs advance the plot of course, but most importantly, they always enhance the inner lives of the characters and their expressiveness on a level that dialogue cannot express nearly as effectively.
There was simply no better way to introduce the film large cast of characters, their magical gifts and Mirabel's quandary than through Mirabel's "The Family Madrigal." There was no better way to address the super strong yet inwardly crumbling Luisa's anxieties than the stunning "Surface Pressure." There was no better way to experience Mirabel's pain from feeling wholly separated from yet devoted to her family than through the aching "Waiting On A Miracle," so tenderly sung with quivering tenacity by Stephanie Beatriz. There was no better way for Isabella to express her newfound freedom and self-discovery than through the ebullient "What Else Can I Do?" There was no better way to express Abuela Alma's inner world and family history, the true catalyst of the entire story, than through the gorgeous "Dos Oruguitas." And yes, by now we are all talking and singing about why "We Don't Talk About Bruno" and it deserves every stitch of our attention as again, there was no better way to confront this part of the story than through this song. Lin-Manuel Miranda's eight songs all contributed gloriously to the luxurious tapestry of "Encanto" through a rich musical vision that was as culturally authentic as it was emotionally authentic.
Speaking of cultural authenticity, once more with feeling as I have often expressed upon this site, representation is everything, especially within stories and genres that exist in more fanciful arenas! Taking the time and opportunity to feel truly seen within the very types of films of which so many of us are still so woefully under-represented, gives us a greater mode of connection with the material. And when the cultural representation is performed correctly, with respect, reverence, honestly and joy, that connection can make under represented members in the audiences soar at the recognition as we have experienced with the likes of Ryan Coogler's "Black Panther" (2018), Destin Daniel Cretton's "Shang-Chi and the Legend Of The Ten Rings" (2020) as well as the aforementioned "Soul."
Disney's "Encanto" is a wealth of beautifully rendered depictions of Colombian culture and its people, with it stunningly well rendered textures and varieties of skin tones, facial characteristics, hair styles, wardrobes, and cultural aesthetics abound in interior and exterior locations. As with the very best Pixar features, there are so many details that clearly have been painstakingly realized that we could easily freeze frame any moment in the film and just study the details as how artfully they were displayed.
Additionally, I have also been told by an extremely reliable source that this is actually the very first Disney animated feature to star a leading character who happens to wear glasses! And as a person who actually does wear glasses, I could not have asked for a better representative than the outstanding Mirabel Madrigal.
Beyond its technical skills, dynamic songs and heartfelt cultural representation, for me, the greatest achievement of Disney's "Encanto" is its commitment to the fine art of storytelling. Certainly, Maribel's journey may feel to be familiar as the film is indeed a quest story where the quest itself is utilized as a metaphor for her inner journey as she, and her family, realize what the true essence of what a miraculous gift actually is. Yet, as the late great Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert expressed over and again, a story is not about what it is about. It is how it is about what it is about!
With regards to "Encanto," the film uses magical realism and comic book superhero aesthetics to deliver the story of the life cycle of a family, filled with the emotional pathos and realism that arrives in themes of sibling rivalry, familial burdens and expectations and intergenerational trauma. The history of the family has created all of the beauty and pain that exists in the present and potentially the future unless, Maribel Madrigal can discover the threads that can alter the trajectory, hopefully instilling a newfound sense of self-acceptance, self-confidence, self-sufficiency and the self knowledge that the person you know that exists at your core IS ENOUGH. No more, no less, as is, for now and always without judgement, fear or shame. And further, once one knows oneself, perhaps that is the moment in which we are truly seen by ourselves through our own eyes, and maybe even accepted by others just as we are.
Additionally, and very much like how sadness was seen to be an essential piece in the landscapes of our emotional puzzles, leading to a larger universe of emotional expression and vocabulary in "Inside Out," "Encanto" showcases how the pains and tragedies of life are also essential to...well...living life. Pain cannot be waved or willed away. Perfection is futile and so-called imperfection can reveal a myriad of gifts which only makes the individual and wider world more complete.
Mirabel Madrigal is the type of character that I wanted to instantly reach through the screen and befriend if only I could. Quirky and funny, she certainly is. Pleasant, kind and considerate she is as well. But her pain at feeling that she is less than, not as valued, even possibly as a mistake, lent the film a universal pathos, an existential ache that absolutely anyone anywhere can relate to, thus making her a character to embrace because we know how she feels. And believe me, no one at any moment should ever feel to be a mistake or meaningless. But we do, and Mirabel, through the pressures of family expectations, feels undervalued no matter how hard she tries and no matter how wonderful of a person she already is.
To her credit, Mirabel is tenacious. She is steadfast in her loyalties and commitments to her family and community. And once the time strikes, she becomes fearless, not through any dormant super powers but through the purity of her heart and love. Mirabel's lessons are lessons for the Madrigal family in totality, again showcasing the life cycle of a family through its beginnings, growth, transformations, tribulations, implosions, destruction and reconstruction.
In doing so, "Encanto" succeeds where so many films about dysfunctional families fail because this film focuses not upon dysfunction, so to speak, but precisely how families live, breathe, fall apart, and live again. This is a film about how we exist within our families and how families exist overall. And all of this, arrives through the visage and actions of a bespectacled teenage girl so magically brought to life through an amalgamation of writing, technical artistry, music and voice acting. It is rare when an animated character just feels to be so real. Mission grandly accomplished with Mirabel Madrigal.
Disney's "Encanto" is a complete triumph! A film that understands that the artistic technique, as outstanding as it is on its own is just not enough. The story, characters, performances, music, conceptual and emotional multi-layers and the sheer love poured copiously into this experience make this a film to treasure for the ages.
No comments:
Post a Comment