Encanto (2021)

Poster Description: As Mirabel strikes a quirky pose, her family bunch around her. (Left) Abuela carries the golden candle, Isabela casts purple flowers through the air, and Dolores cups a hand to her ear. Luisa has an upright donkey on one shoulder, flexing her muscles. (Right) Two toucans sit on a bored-looking capybara's head in the bottom-right corner. Antonio smiles at another toucan balanced on his tiny arm. Smirking, Camillo cocks an eyebrow, and his parents look delighted. Mirabel's parents smile together. The brightly coloured Casita is on a hill behind them, protected by lush forest and blue sky. Gold butterflies flitter amongst green plants at Mirabel's feet near the film's swirling title.

Disney continues to branch out to diverse cultures, focusing on Colombia for their sixtieth movie.

Warning: There will be mild spoilers.

Development for Encanto began as early as 2016. Following the success of Moana and Zootropolis (Zootopia in America), directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard wanted to make a musical. With Lin-Manuel Miranda on board, the new project took on a whole new life as the three men exchanged stories about their large extended families.

The central theme was how individuals might see their family members and how their family sees them. By brainstorming this idea and consulting with various therapists and psychologists, Bush, Howard, and Miranda established "three discoveries" that became Encanto's core message:

1) Most of us don't feel "seen" by our families.

2) Most of us carry burdens/pressure we never let our families see.

3) Most of us are unaware that nearly all of us, especially within our own families, feel the same way!

Encanto doesn't waste time before breaking our hearts. A young couple flees war with their baby triplets, and in the wake of tragedy, a magical candle creates a sanctuary for them. Years later, three generations thrive in the Casita – the name of their sentient house – helping their community with their unique gifts bestowed by the miracle. Everyone except Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz, Brooklyn Nine-Nine). Yet she notices something is wrong with the house as cracks are forming and magical powers are on the fritz. So, Mirabel takes it on herself to save the miracle and her family.

For all their abilities, each character feels real; even Casita has a gentle personality. True to her surname (Madrigal means "charm" in Spanish), Mirabel is a warm and compassionate main character, supporting her cousin, Antonio, as he receives his gift. At the same time, she expresses some disdain over her "perfect" sister, Isabela (Diane Guerrero, Orange is The New Black). While I would have liked to see Mirabel engage more with her father and Tio Félix (all without gifts), there is plenty to explore in a potential sequel or TV series. From her role as no-nonsense Rosa in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the team initially thought Stephanie Beatriz would play Luisa. Still, she performed a surprising rendition of "You're Welcome" from Moana for her audition, and it swayed the decision.

One of the unique things about Encanto is that there isn't a clear villain. While cousin Dolores could be accused of withholding crucial information and blurting it out in a hilarious, chaotic dinner, her gift of super-hearing is something of a poisoned chalice. Abuela (Maria Cecilia Botero) is also a likely candidate, focusing her affection and attention on her gifted grandchildren rather than Mirabel. However, her intentions are good and beautifully explained by the film's Academy Award-nominated song, "Dos Oruguitas" ("Two Little Caterpillars"). If anything, Abuela's trauma and lack of communication are to blame, carried throughout her family. Whether unintentional or not, Abuela piles on the pressures for them to be perfect, strong, and help the community, all at the expense of their mental/physical health. So it's to an extent when Antonio (the youngest grandson) is terrified before getting his gift, and he needs Mirabel to accompany him to his new room. Through her ability to change the weather with sporadic emotions, Tia Pepa may have bipolar disorder, Tio Bruno (John Leguizamo at his best) probably has OCD, and Mirabel's mother is a blatant "feeder," healing people and making them happy through food. That's all pretty intense for a Disney film, but it flows without losing any of that childlike wonder.

Image Description: In a dim space with brown walls and boxes, Mirabel and Bruno's heads turn towards something we can't see. Mirabel has done so with some speed like she is surprised. She wears a frilled black and white blouse covered in different-coloured motifs. She has blue earrings and round, green glasses, and her curls are short, like Bruno's. His mouth is slightly open. Dressed in a green shawl, he needs a shave.

Indeed, I can't gush about Encanto without mentioning the outstanding soundtrack. Like anyone who has seen the film, I sang "We Don't Talk About Bruno" for four days straight following my first viewing. Lin-Manuel Miranda worked on the songs, with his wife and two children as his best critics. It ended up in the movie if they loved it (bearing in mind that his wife hates musicals). However, they are unique in that they carry the weight of the film.

To get a proper grasp of Colombian culture, the team consulted with Juan Rendon and Natalie Osma, two of several cultural experts hired by Disney Animation as consultants for the film. The filmmakers also took a two-week trip to the country for inspiration, and Colombia's vast array of musical styles make it into "We Don't Talk About Bruno." The whole number is a wild ride from start to finish, with the story's changing moods, animation, and plot progression. The film as a whole is vibrant and gorgeous.

Furthermore, Mirabel's "I wish..." song, "Waiting on a Miracle," has an entirely different rhythm to the others. It demonstrates just how out of step she is to the rest of her family, and it's a beautiful number; it also needs to be said that Stephanie Beatriz was in labour when she recorded the song though you would never know. Finally, "The Family Madrigal" is the perfect example of keeping the exposition exciting and fast.

Image Description: Mirabel stands amongst her family. They sparkle like golden stars, but she does not. (Left) Camillo, Dolores, Félix, and Pepa all wear shades of yellow and red, while little Antonio wears a white suit for his gifting ceremony. They all beam and cheer at Mirabel. Holding the magic candle, Abuela smiles at her. (Right) Her parents look on proudly, wearing blue and turquoise. Dressing in shades of purples and pinks, Luisa raises her muscular arms in joy, and Isabela holds hers out. Mirabel reaches out yearningly towards Antonio, her blue skirt flowing out in front of her.

I was surprised (and delighted) to learn that each song involved choreography, courtesy of Jamal Sims and Kai Martinez. Animators turned real-life dancers into each character, and the results are fluid and an absolute joy to watch. For example, Luisa's solo dance in "Surface Pressure" is sassy as hell – and Jessica Darrow’s voice is amazing. Also, the song was inspired by Miranda's older sister with the same name, which adds a whole load of emotion to an already empathetic piece as the character feels she must carry so much responsibility.

As another way to express each character's unique abilities, the artists chose to do so through their clothes. For example, although she is super-strong, Luisa wears feminine clothing that includes patterns of dumbbells, Camillo has a cloak covered in chameleons to demonstrate his shape-shifting ability. His sister Dolores has a shirt decorated with sound waves for her sharp hearing; most crucially, Mirabel has all of the colours of her family incorporated in her outfit to show her devotion and compassion for her family.

We have a magical house that is a charming idea, but Encanto covers some intense, relatable familial issues with humour, an incredible soundtrack, and engaging characters. So look out Emperor's New Groove. I've found a new favourite Disney film.

The Verdict: 4.5 STARS OUT OF 5

My Sources:

Encanto poster - https://lumiere-a.akamaihd.net/v1/images/p_encanto_homeent_22359_4892ae1c.jpeg?region=0%2C0%2C540%2C810

The development of Encanto - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encanto_(film)#Development

What does Madrigal mean? - https://screenrant.com/encanto-movie-title-meaning-translation-explained/

Diane Guerrero filmography - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4058898/?ref_=tt_cl_t_8

Image: Mirabel and Bruno - https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/60094867

Encanto songs facts - https://www.buzzfeed.com/noradominick/encanto-songs-behind-the-scenes-facts

Image: Mirabel waits on a miracle - https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/encanto/images/f/f1/Waiting_on_a_Miracle.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20220106200734

Dolores is the bad guy? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz2oowy5JxY

Dos Oruguitas - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dos_Oruguitas

Stephanie Beatriz was in labour?! - https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a39475022/brooklyn-nine-nine-stephanie-beatriz-encanto-song-labour/