The first buzz I heard about this film was the viral hit song that defied all expectation. And then I heard that pretty much none of Disney's expectations for this film's marketing and popularity came true.
It's kinda beautiful, given the story.
Mirabel Madrigal is the only one born into her family to be denied a magical gift from the enchanted house and community she lives in. Her grandmother, who was there when the enchantment was given, shows no small unease with this fact, as she feels that her family's blessing is nothing to take for granted and that the lack of a gift for Mirabel is a bad sign. While Mirabel adores her family and their powers, it's clear she continues to be hurt by her outsider status and the way she's been singled out for it.
The beauty of Encanto is that it shows very clearly how fractured everything is. Her empowered family are not as happy as they look, with uncle Bruno being outright shunned, and while their discord threatens their blessing, their issues can only be faced by confronting them and creating a mess. The story talks about how trauma can beget trauma through pressure and expectation and that archetypes and roles can be very limiting—indeed, Disney marketed the characters based on their appealing archetypes, only for people to connect strongest to the characters' flawed and messy sides.
The music is really great. Lin-Manuel Miranda is being more Lin-Manuel Miranda than in Moana, resulting in some really exciting Latin music that doesn't often sound like Disney Broadway. Lin manages to give each family member their time in the singing spotlight, with "We Don't Talk About Bruno" earning its hype as a fun multistage composition that sees the majority of the family's singing parts coalescing on top of each other. It's the least generic and poppy song in the soundtrack, but it's just that good— enough to knock "Let It Go" off its pedestal. "Surface Pressure" is also really catchy and different and "What Else Can I Do?" is a bit more Disney but very nice.
The only criticism I have with the film is that it feels too short. I like the way the conflict is solely about emotional interaction rather than magical journey or physical skill, but the film feels like it's missing something. The climax comes earlier than expected, but the film doesn't run with that and extend the resolution phase of the story to go with it. For a film about healing, that would have been nice. It's not too bad, but feels atypical in a less satisfying way. I'm glad there's evident interest in making a series or sequel for the film, because I want more of these characters and think Encanto has more to give as a story.
This is a really sweet film discussing really heavy issues with really great music. I recommend.
No wonder they're all talking about Bruno.
The first buzz I heard about this film was the viral hit song that defied all expectation. And then I heard that pretty much none of Disney's expectations for this film's marketing and popularity came true. It's kinda beautiful, given the story.
Mirabel Madrigal is the only one born into her family to be denied a magical gift from the enchanted house and community she lives in. Her grandmother, who was there when the enchantment was given, shows no small unease with this fact, as she feels that her family's blessing is nothing to take for granted and that the lack of a gift for Mirabel is a bad sign. While Mirabel adores her family and their powers, it's clear she continues to be hurt by her outsider status and the way she's been singled out for it.
The beauty of Encanto is that it shows very clearly how fractured everything is. Her empowered family are not as happy as they look, with uncle Bruno being outright shunned, and while their discord threatens their blessing, their issues can only be faced by confronting them and creating a mess. The story talks about how trauma can beget trauma through pressure and expectation and that archetypes and roles can be very limiting—indeed, Disney marketed the characters based on their appealing archetypes, only for people to connect strongest to the characters' flawed and messy sides.
The music is really great. Lin-Manuel Miranda is being more Lin-Manuel Miranda than in Moana, resulting in some really exciting Latin music that doesn't often sound like Disney Broadway. Lin manages to give each family member their time in the singing spotlight, with "We Don't Talk About Bruno" earning its hype as a fun multistage composition that sees the majority of the family's singing parts coalescing on top of each other. It's the least generic and poppy song in the soundtrack, but it's just that good— enough to knock "Let It Go" off its pedestal. "Surface Pressure" is also really catchy and different and "What Else Can I Do?" is a bit more Disney but very nice.
The only criticism I have with the film is that it feels too short. I like the way the conflict is solely about emotional interaction rather than magical journey or physical skill, but the film feels like it's missing something. The climax comes earlier than expected, but the film doesn't run with that and extend the resolution phase of the story to go with it. For a film about healing, that would have been nice. It's not too bad, but feels atypical in a less satisfying way. I'm glad there's evident interest in making a series or sequel for the film, because I want more of these characters and think Encanto has more to give as a story.
This is a really sweet film discussing really heavy issues with really great music. I recommend.