#49 Coco

In Summary

Death is a bold subject to take on for a film primarily aimed at children, as expected though, Pixar are capable of handling it with a careful tenderness that is a celebration of life, rather than dour and morbid.

Framed around the Mexican holiday of Dia De Muertos (The Day of the Dead), Coco tells the story of a child who accidentally finds himself transported into the land of the dead and must find a way back to the world of the living.

Complicating matters is that the boy, Miguel, is a passionate aspiring musician, while his family have sworn against music after Miguel's great-great grandfather left the family to follow his own musical career. Miguel is desperate to find his musical hero, Ernesto De La Cruz, believing him to be his long-lost great-great grandfather, who can both grant him is return and validate his musical ambitions.

The musicality of Coco helps elevate this animation into something that resonates more deeply on an emotional level. It gives the film this wonderful sense of rhythm, making the celebratory scenes more joyful, the sad scenes more gut-wrenching.

Gorgeously animated, Coco is also a feast for the eyes as well as the ears. It is a film that does what all other great films do, it tells its story, it entertains, it delights, it hurts, it may even change the way you think about death.

Coco is yet another example of the brilliance of Pixar.

A Memorable Quote

I have to sing. It's not just *in* me... It *is* Me.

Things You May Not Know

• The Chinese authorities were so moved by the film that it passed the country's censors despite touching on a number of themes that would ordinarily get a film banned.
• It became the highest-grossing film in Mexico, surpassing the first Avengers film.
• It took six years to make this film, which is the longest Pixar production ever.

One of the Greatest of All Time?
Although coming outside that golden era of Pixar animations - which arguably came to a close with Toy Story 3 - Coco stands up as one of, if not the, best films that the studio has ever produced. It is a film that manages to be both entertaining and incredibly emotionally powerful, as it tackles its sensitive subject matter with great respect without completely distracting from the fun tone of the film's narrative journey.

Coco is one of those films that if you haven't seen already, you should make a plan to do so. Just remember to keep a box of tissues at close hand.