With its recent cinema, Disney has shown that it’s working towards bridging new themes and identities with the traditional essence of the ‘Mouse House’ we have enjoyed for decades. Its latest film, Encanto, is another example of this metamorphosis. In Disney’s 60th film, it unites a newfound love for cultural representation, with cutting-edge CG work, and tells you the tried-and-tested story of a lonely protagonist who, in trying to belong in a group, becomes better than them all. With equal doses of humour and heart, Encanto is the film equivalent of a cup of hot chocolate on a monsoon evening.
In Casita, the living house of the Madrigal family, where the floor, roof and even the kitchen countertop tiles move on their own, Mirabel (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz) lives. Unlike the rest of her family members who each get a superhuman ability when they come of age, Mirabel doesn’t. When the enchanted candle, Encanto—which her grandma Alma (María Cecilia Botero) owns and is the source of the magic that guides the Madrigal family and the village around it—is on the verge of blowing out, it’s up to Mirabel to save the house. With little knowledge and a missing uncle who could be the missing piece to the puzzle, Mirabel sets out to save the village and prove that a hero doesn’t need to be equipped with superpowers.
The stakes are surprisingly small here. For once, a million lives don’t rest on the slender shoulders of a kid. There’s no trusty sidekick/cute animal pal that has become synonymous with Disney stories. Byron Howard and Jared Bush, who have held several positions at Disney and worked on many animated blockbusters under different capacities, have taken over the role of directors for Encanto and have kept this premise simple, grounded, and elegant. If Moana had depictions of Polynesian beliefs and their last film, Raya and the Last Dragon, was based on traditional Southeast Asian cultures, Encanto shows us the Hispanic way of life, first introduced by Coco (2017). The brilliant animation does justice to the vibrant colours of the architecture, food and clothes unique to Latin America.
Beneath the simplistic story is an important message about the plight of immigrants; such subtext makes us overlook flaws like a wafer-thin plot. It’s not an ambitious film, but a refreshingly simple, effective story that tugs at your heartstrings. Throw in a refreshing album and we have a really efficient studio film.