Encanto

Ten Second Review: It’s not that modern Disney animated films never miss, but they are running a pretty good batting average over the past few years. Encanto is definitely a great addition.

I don’t know about everyone else but I saw nothing about this brand new Disney film. No press, no trailers, no big interviews with late night hosts plastered on my homepage. My cookies definitely know I go to the cinema, like animation and like Disney, but I’ve got nothing for this film. I wonder if this was just me? Was it everywhere and I’ve just managed to miss it at every occasion?

Encanto tells the story of a family who are driven out of their home and are saved by a miracle. The miracle grants each family member a magical gift…each family member apart from Mirabel. Spending her whole life wondering what’s wrong with her, Mirabel has to find her own way to help her community and her family without the gifts her family have.

Moana may be one of my favourite films of all time at this point. It’s a hard metric to go up against, but films like Coco have done so well at worming their way into my heart too. Encanto may we’ll have wormed it’s way in too.

There’s many reasons to go to the cinema but one of my favourites is the feeling of coming out of the screening and just feeling content. A light sense of joy like a weight has been lifted. Encanto is one of those films that watching it just made me feel warm.

I could put it down to the music, which was a wonderful meeting of lyricism and instrumentation, or the design, which was inspired throughout. I could also put it down to the ability the filmmakers had to make the camera not only feel grounded but human operated. It stepped as though a camera man would. Considering it’s animated this was most certainly a choice and it was amazing!

In truth I think it’s a combination of these things coupled with an endearing story. I think the reason this film might grow in its favouring is that, similar to Moana or Coco, it’s message of family rather than a love story bears re-watching.

I will certainly be going back to Encanto, I might even try to catch it again before it leaves cinemas. Its a visual and audiological dream with a lovely heart at its core. Catch it on the big screen if you can, but certainly make time for it when it arrives on streaming.