It's unfortunate to read that COCO is Pixar's last full-length original picture until this decade is over. The studio is focused on sequels more than creating original stories, which is a shame, because this film is nearly flawless. The story follows a young boy named Miguel who lives in a small Mexican town. He comes from a long line of cobblers that all work out of a humble studio. Long ago, Miguel tells us, his great great grandfather was an accomplished musician, but after running away from his family to pursue fame, the house forever banned music from the premises. Nearly 100 years later, the rules still apply. Miguel has a passion for a 1950's television star named Ernesto de la Cruz and practices guitar in hiding.
The story begins on the Day of the Dead when the family prepares for the celebration. Through various plot points and missteps, Miguel ends up in the afterlife and witnesses the dead crossing a floral bridge to visit with their living family members. The only problem is that Miguel is still very much alive. After running into his ancestors, the movie becomes something more familiar - it's a journey to try and get Miguel home.
Pixar's team clearly immersed themselves in Mexican folklore and culture, and the results are beautiful. The screen is so full of detail that at times I felt as though blinking was hampering my experience. Everything from the reflection in Miguel's eyes to the heat wave coming off a candle is perfectly captured. Some say that computer generation is the easy alternative to hand drawn cells, but the level of work achieved here makes me beg to differ. We even meet a variety of spirit animals of all sizes and colors that accompany the dead around this incredible city. They fly around to give us visual acuity and establish where we are and why.
For all it has to offer, COCO still feels weighted down by an extended subplot that leads into darker territory than I have seen before in a Pixar film. I think this is because most of their films deal with cute animals or talking robots. When the same stakes are placed against a living person, it feels more intense. I wonder if younger children will understand all elements of this film, or if they will find it scary. I suspect they'll simply enjoy going along for the ride. Yes, the movie is filled with skeletons (who visibly lack jaw bones and sunken eye sockets... They are in no way scary beings), but the ultimate message of the movie is one of family, memories, and tradition. The introduction of various characters and the way they all tie together at times feels a bit too coincidental, even for a cartoon. What are the odds that Miguel bumps into a stranger in a town of millions - a stranger who holds the key to the film's conclusion, no less?
It wouldn't be Pixar without an emotional climax, and I will tell you that this one caught me off guard. We can expect what is coming, but the final 10 or 15 minutes of this film hit me as hard as anything I have seen in a movie. It's a quiet moment with a boy, a guitar, and his family. I defy you not to react. The film builds slowly and layers in characters and themes that for the most part I found myself happy but wishing for minor changes (Miguel has a dog sidekick named "Dante" who is clearly there for unneeded comedic relief). The end is the most perfect knot to conclude this story - bringing all characters together (living and dead) in a quiet moment of music and healing. The results are simply magical.
No comments:
Post a Comment