You expect the animation in a Disney/Pixar film to be well done, but in Coco, it’s stunning and actually luminescent. The screen lights up with vibrant colors and reflections of light that pop on the screen.
Add to this a charming family friendly story with a lot of cultural detail about why and how the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated all over Mexico. It’s not a holiday you’d think of as charming, but as explained in the film, it’s a holiday that respectfully celebrates family, especially your ancestors. They are the people who came before you who have helped make you who you are.
Directors Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina both worked on (Toy Story 3). Molina also co-wrote this script with Matthew Aldrich. They went to great lengths to learn how the holiday is celebrated not just in the big cities in Mexico but in the little villages as well.
Unkrich didn’t want the film to fall into stereotypes so he put together a team of cultural consultants who took many trips to various places in Mexico to understand family life including the traditions, food and music. Even down to adding a Xolo, a funny hairless Mexican breed of dog with it’s tongue always hanging out as one of the characters.
Producer Darla K. Anderson wanted the details to be representative and correct. They don’t even translate all of the Spanish spoken in the film. You can gather what is meant by what is going on between the family members. This makes the film more realistic showing Mexican family life, down to grandmother, Mama Imelda (Alana Ubach) throwing a shoe at Miguel when he doesn’t do what she wants. We actually know someone who has told us about the shoes his mother threw when he misbehaved.
Twelve-year-old Anthony Gonzalez who plays main character, Miguel, was chosen from hundreds of boys who auditioned across the country. He’s been singing since he was 4 and blew the filmmakers away. He is a remarkable talent. Miguel is a young boy who loves music but it’s been banned by his family because his great-great grandfather left his wife and baby, now the elderly Mama Coco (Ana Ofelia Murguia) to pursue his musical career.
But Miguel only wants to be a singer, like his idol, movie and singing star, Ernesto de la Cruz. Benjamin Bratt plays Ernesto who he likens to a Frank Sinatra but more reminiscent of Latin greats Pedro Infante or Jorge Negrete. Who knew Bratt could sing! Miguel sneaks away to hear music whenever he can and when his father smashes a guitar he was going to use, Miguel rebels and goes to his family mausoleum finding a guitar to use. That’s when he magically becomes ghostly and can travel in both living and dead worlds.
The scenes of families in the cemetery are colorful showing families gathering around the graves of their relatives. The number of animated characters and the vibrant backgrounds have detail that makes it look like they glow. And the reflection in Miguel’s eyes add magic to what he is seeing.
Gael Garcia Bernal plays Hector, the gangly, weird, comical skeleton in the cemetery who befriends Miguel.They go on an adventure together to uncover the secret that caused music to be banned by his family. Mama Coco keeps a torn photo in a drawer but never talks about the missing image.
Hector agrees to help Miguel prove his talent by taking this magical journey. In the scenes where Miguel plays the guitar, the filmmakers animated how he held his hands and played each note. They used multiple takes on a go pro camera to capture each move and then recreated it.
The concert scene in a huge venue with a cast of thousands and Ernesto de la Cruz performing, then Miguel wowing the huge crowd is a highlight. You’ll be cheering them on, too. Miguel finds out something more about Hector, too.
This movie about a ban on music has music playing throughout. The filmmakers actually had Camilo Lara as their Cultural Music Consultant who brought hundreds of musicians in for one crazy day to play every kind of Latin music from mariachi, banda, marimba songs and more to add even more flavor to the film. You’ll want to get up and dance. And the theme song of the film, “Remember Me,” about never forgetting those who are no longer with us, will stick with you.
There is so much to see in this film with heartwarming characterizations. The one that grows on you and brings about the most emotion is Mama Coco herself. The way the animators have her face move to react and express love is subtle but so interesting and effective. She and Miguel love each other unconditionally. Coco is pretty sedate throughout the film except when Miguel is around. He always gets a response from her. You think she may not be all there, but by the end of the film, her loving responses elicit so much emotion. Bring tissues.
This is a charming story laced from beginning to end with Mexican traditions and culture. No wonder it has become the most popular animated film ever shown there. There are several places toward the end where we think it could have been ended sooner. But the payoff is the importance of family and it works. Unkrich was afraid that because he was not Mexican, himself, he might not hit the right notes. But with all the research, stellar animation, music and great casting, he makes this film sing.
