Encanto Review (Film, 2021)
content warning: grieving
Meet the family Madrigal. They are the center of a beautiful community hidden away in Columbia. Abuela Alma found a magical candle that built the entire community and blessed almost all of her children and grandchildren with a special gift that helps everyone. Mirabel is the only child to not receive a gift, but she does what she can to help out the family leading up to her cousin Antonio’s ceremony.
Then she notices the cracks forming in the house.
Encanto is a stunning animated musical/fantasy film from Disney. This is a contemporary story filled with magical realism. The house is its own character with its own personality and not one person questions the how or why of this magical system. Why would they? Alma’s candle is right in the window for the whole village to see and the family Madrigal shares everything.
While the family seems perfect to the villagers, Mirabel is starting to notice all the strain everyone is under. Her lack of a gift puts a greater burden on the family to protect her as well as the rest of the village. She, in turn, has made it her life’s goal to help the family and the house with whatever they need. This puts her in the perfect position to be the one person to notice when there’s a problem.
Except she isn’t. Part of Mirabel’s quest is figuring out what her vision of the house cracking actually means for the family. Sibling by sibling, cousin by cousin, aunt by uncle by father by mother she works her way up the family tree and learns more than she ever knew about the Madrigals.
Since it’s a musical, these secrets are revealed in songs. My personal favorite is Luisa’s solo “Surface Pressure.” Luisa’s gift is super strength, and she quite literally holds the village together with her hard work and determination. She finally shares her insecurities about disappointing the family and the village to Mirabel, commanding Mirabel to “Give it to your sister and never wonder/If the same pressure would've pulled you under/Who am I if I don't have what it takes?” And then she steps back in line to move buildings with a tap and carry the lost donkeys back to their homes. “No pressure.”
Lin-Manuel Miranda is a gifted songwriter in musical theatre and Encanto might be his strongest collection of songs yet. It’s not just enough to have an ear for melody and a mind that can find clever rhymes. There has to be a reason and a why to a good musical theatre song. Every song in Encanto has a purpose beyond sounding great. Just remember that a caterpillar is not just a caterpillar, a flower is not just a flower, and the family Madrigal is as complex and interwoven as their namesake.
Encanto is one of the more mature Disney films to come around in quite some time. There is enough joy and humor in the film to keep the younger ones entertained, but the substance of the story will have a greater meaning for the adults who watch. This is an incredibly deep piece of contemporary fantasy set to a beautiful song score and filled with all the depth you would imagine from a world of magical realism.
Encanto is streaming on Disney+.
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