Encanto: an enchanting Christmas Disney tonight on television (review)
Humor, melody and adventure on the program! The genius of Lin-Manuel Miranda will brighten up your evening on W9.
The day after Christmas, what could be better thanEncanto to prolong the magic and have a good time with the family in front of the television? W9 is rebroadcasting the Disney animated film this evening, punctuated by the brilliant music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who won over the editorial staff of First when it is released in cinemas in 2021. Our review:
When the Disney castle appeared, we were slightly apprehensive… It had been a while since Uncle Walt’s magic stopped working quite correctly. Rayathe last anime released from the studio, was visually impressive, but failed to create a story that lived up to its epic and world visions. And this is not the trailer forEncanto which reassured us: the Colombian music didn’t make us dream and the characters didn’t have much to sell…
The opening number (invigorating and frenzied presentation of the Madrigal family) takes everything away. Doubts and reluctance. In fact, Encanto is signed by the two directors of Zootopia, Jared Bush and Byron Howard — accompanied by co-director Charise Castro Smith. And we find intact their humor, their innate sense of the infinitely large and the infinitely small, as well as the manic care they bring to the characterization of the characters. Even better: the music (we’re talking about a real musical) has been entrusted to Lin-Manuel Miranda who signs a subtle score, full of color, energy, South American rhythms and perfect nods to the most devastating pop. Brief. Humor, melody and adventure: life splashes in Cacita.
This is where the plot of the film takes place. A huge magical house (distantly reminiscent of the X-Men mansion) where the strange Madrigal family lives. Strange because all its members have a superpower. Luisa is super strong and can carry a house with one hand; Isabela, her sister, is beautiful and beautifies everything she touches. Pepa, their aunt, controls the weather; Their mother Julieta cures all illnesses with appetizing dishes. And then there is Mirabel. But Mirabel… has no power. And it is this absence of power that will launch the film. It is this “lack” that forces him to go on an “adventure”.
But unlike recent Disney (Moana, Raya or even Frozen 2…), Mirabel is not going to go to the other side of the world to get to know herself; she will dive into the heart of the house, explore its darkest corners, its acres and its forgotten corridors, its abandoned rooms… The objective? Discover what role she plays in the history of the Madrigals, find the trace of her uncle Bruno, who mysteriously disappeared, and understand why suddenly, she begins to see cracks appearing on the walls of the Cacita. We therefore follow Mirabel, who takes us into her bric-a-brac of memories, wandering souls and benevolent powers; she crosses a universe of sumptuous magical realism to better escape and (re)find herself.
The strength ofEncantoit is therefore the brilliant characterization of this family, perfectly sketched and interpreted. Their fluidity, their designthe way in which we understand a character in one movement, the way in which each character interacts with the entire cast… all of this is exceptional and recalls the supremacy of Disney animators (look at the characters’ hair, their movements, their volume… c ‘is astonishing).
But nothing would work without the music of Lin-Manuel Miranda. Consider the hiphop of In The Heights mixed with Latin rhythms and you will have a good idea of the pop power of this music which is only matched by the clever and inspired lyrics. You will have “Beneath the Appearances” in mind for a long time. and its irresistible r’n’b rhythms, “Let’s not talk about Bruno” a crazy trio, the valley frenzied “Colombia mi encanto” or the heartbreaking “Dos Oruguitas”… The whole thing is a pure marvel.
But above all, there is, at the heart of the film, a beautiful metaphorical idea. La Cacita, the Madrigal house that comes to life, orchestrates the family’s happiness, can be seen as a metaphor for the Disney studio. While tradition must always be respected and cherished, living on the basis of what we have learned or following rules set decades ago can easily lead to ruin or decadence. The heart of the house, what makes it vibrate, what organizes the magic, is not its walls, its rules or the faint candle which embodies the spirit of the place. No, it’s the inspiration of the people who live there, the collective.
Encantothe sixtieth film made in Disney, proves that by letting the best members of the studio wander, by allowing them to have fun with the values promoted by Walt while bringing a little modernity and warmth, magic can still work. The Disney house is very much alive and has nothing to fear from cracks…
By Jared Bush, Byron Howard and Charise Castro Smith. Duration: 1h43.
