Review: ‘Encanto’ – Magically Musical

As we enter into the season where faithful friends who are dear to us travel near to us once more, many people may not be so keen on seeing some familiar familial faces. For the amazing Madrigals, the family at the centre of Encanto, those faces are the protectors and providers of their village and the miracle that gave them fantastic abilities.

Each of the Madrigals has a gift. One can control the weather with her emotions, another can shapeshift, and one has super strength. The only one without a gift is Mirabel, the film’s heroine. While Encanto is a vivid and enchanting musical, the film hints at the dark underbelly of family drama. The Madrigals are upheld as relatable idols in their village, yet the film imbues them with a fallible humanity.

As their miracle is in danger of fading, Mirabel is the only one that’s keen to do anything about it. Encanto’s characters are mostly obsessed with maintaining a status quo, blinding them to the paradigm shift that threatens it. The film’s best song, We Don’t Talk About Bruno, encapsulates the family’s resistance to dealing with the less pleasant aspects of their family.

Spearheading the company line of denial with a smile is the widowed matriarch of the family, Abuela Madrigal. The issues facing their family may seem obvious, but the depth of Abuela’s character gives you a greater understanding of her inability to come to terms with it. Traumatised by the death of her husband, racked with fear of further loss, she strives for perfection, losing sight of what she initially fought for.

Encanto is similar to recent Disney films like Frozen and Moana. Each feature heroines embarking on a journey after a lifetime of feeling out of place in the place they call home. Yet Encanto stands out in its approach. Rather than wishing to escape, she’s committed to changing her family for the better. The film’s theme of family is handled beautifully, showing not only the joy that can be gained from being surrounded by loved ones but also the despair that lies underneath.

As Mirabel’s journey continues, her eyes are opened to her family’s own troubles. Each of them holds in their own issues they don’t dare bring to the surface. The film’s characters are relatable in an uncomfortably cathartic way. For as many characters as it has, it’s remarkably good at getting you to care about each of them. I enjoyed my time with the Madrigals and hope to see them again in the future. Hopefully, by then, they’ve scheduled some much-needed family counselling.

RATING: Big Screen Watch

Damian Levy is a film critic and podcaster for Damian Michael Movies.