I wanted to begin this year by doing something out of the ordinary. I normally do not tend to like animated movies although, I must admit, there are a couple of exceptions: I loved Ratatouille but Up did not impressed me much.
Recently, I watched an interview in which Guillermo Del Toro commented how he sponsored and produced Jorge R. Gutiérrez’s vision as a novel director. Pixar must feel a bit jealous about the artistry achieved in making these wood characters with such level of attention to details. Stunning!
That was the first thing I liked. People helping people achieve their dreams. Then the topic at hand, although it benefited from the latest American technology, portrayed the Day of the Dead, a very Latin American festivity. It only takes a look at my identifying image in this blog to understand my affinity with this celebration.
I understood rather early in my life that in order to appreciate life, you must first appreciate death since it is only by contrast that we value the difference.
The third stimulus came when I found out that Gustavo Santaolalla had composed the score. To finish appealing to my senses, I could anticipate this movie would use a rich color palette to showcase everything folkloric and Mexican. And I am all in about color!
But my surprise was the handling of the story. The “Land of the Remembered” flirts with the “Land of the Forgotten” in the same way in which we all are unknowingly at the mercy of our own death every single day but, somehow, we managed to remain alive. Think of it! Very few people are aware of this fact. Other topics explored in this movie include cultural values, the importance of family and the loyalty among friends. Absolutely recommended!