Coco (dir. Lee Unkrich)

If the anticipation of the holiday season reminds you of an over-indulgence of turkey and seeing family members you forgot existed, perhaps the latest offering from Pixar Animation Studios will get you in the right frame of mind. From the director of the Academy Award winning Toy Story 3 Lee Unkrich, here's Coco - a gloriously engaging and visually breathtaking snapshot of the fascinating world of the Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

Bolstered by some hugely entertaining musical numbers, our story introduces a enigmatic opening in which a small Mexican family detail their generational ban of any music playing, linked to a shameful ex-relative who left to become a musician. As is tradition during Dia de los Muertos, an ofrenda (offering) is given to those who have passed in the form of a shrine; adorned with photos of deceased members of the family to bless them in the afterlife.

This of course doesn't go down well with the budding virtuoso Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez), who attempts to steal the guitar of his musical hero Ernesto De La Cruz to play in the local music competition. As Miguel begins to strum said guitar, he is unknowingly transferred into the literal land of the dead - where he is met by his old ancestors who are adorned with a skeletal appearance - and must search for De La Cruz, who he believes to be the vanishing ex-patriarch, and return to the land of the living.

Along the way, new characters as love-able and as charming as the next are introduced in the Land of the Dead, most notably Hector ( voiced by Gael Garcia Bernal), who at first appears to be a bumbling fool and good-for-nothing but quickly turns into something much more poignant, and is handy with a guitar too.

Part of my excitement as I left the theatre was the sheer relief that this interpretation was so successful. You don't know what you're going to get with Pixar films of late. though Cars 3 and The Good Dinosaur did well financially, they weren't in the same league as other offerings like Finding Dory or Inside Out. Here's an triumphant return to form, as Unkrich's masterful direction and gorgeous attention to detail have produced a mesmeric interpretation of a Mexican culture. With a hefty price tag (the film cost near $200 million), the kaleidoscope world that his animators create, as our titular hero navigates the unearthly terrain will leave you gob-smacked, and should surely be seen at your most local IMAX screen for full effect.

But where some animation fails is in it's storytelling. You can always draw in your demographic, which is clearly small children in this case, with colorful landscapes and love-able side-kicks (a funny dog fills the spot here), but what stays with audiences is the building of characters and themes which resonate. If you look at Inside Out, it was about the pain and suffering of growing up, and how it's okay to be sad. Here's a delicate film about embracing the notion of loved ones passing and cherishing those deceased.

What is also evident, is that the team behind Coco have done extensive research on Mexican culture, with an eye on not offending it for one, but also to capture the real essence of the holiday. And here's why Coco works so well - it's made by people who not only understand the Dia de los Muertos, but enjoy the theatre of the celebration and the remembrance of those who have passed on. It doesn't shy away from dealing with harsh subject matter and Pixar films of late must be commended on doing so.

But at it's heart its a story about music, and it's clear from the directors research that there musical numbers are not only catchy and entertaining, but authentic and pertinent to the themes of the film. I cherished the soundtrack, and have done for the last few weeks since i saw the film. It's a heartbreaking animated film which reassures the fact that we are living in a golden-age of animation.

Rating 5/5