Pixar Films are an event that we have the pleasure of attending twice a year lately. The case is particularly special, as "The Secret of Coco" is the sweet drop in the sea of sequels (Cars 3, Toy Story 4, etc.), from which there is no chance to emerge soon. Miguel is twelve years old, lives in a beautiful Mexican village and wants to become a musician, even though his family has been forbidden for centuries. On the night of the Day of the Dead, he quarrels with his relatives and suddenly finds himself in the afterlife, where he has to come out before sunrise if he wants to see them again. Like most Pixar movies, this one also enjoys colorful screen shots, exclusive eye to detail, and references to previous films. In the role of the obligatory animal cider this time is Dante - a hyperactive dog without a dog whose tongue is regularly wrapped around the muzzle (I prefer it to Spot by the Good Dinosaur or Kevin by In the Sky).
Miguel's experiences are exciting enough in his native village, but once he crosses the Land of the Dead, the real story begins. Surprise: The dead are just like us - they have their houses, urban transport and the bureaucracy "life". Some things never change. "Coco's Secret" is a colorful journey. We are following Miguel's story, but we are actually exploring the Selenia at its own pace, contemplating the curved mountains of colorful, shimmering buildings, each of which is more magnificent than a Christmas tree. We fix our gaze on the giant festive arena rising in the middle of the city like the Tower of Babel, while the breeze sends garlands and petals into our faces. If we get hungry for a walk, we can always take some of the soul-makers - winged beasts in the rainbow colors - or get in the air tram that opens the view of the metropolis. The idea of afterlife is nothing new, but it is rarely presented in such a cheerful way. If I did not find myself there after my death, at least I would like to go on holiday and take part in the fiesta fiesta, which the inhabitants, the eccentric scaffolds, regularly organize in the streets and squares. In Selenia the emphasis falls on pleasure, without making them a soulless hedonistic paradise.
Like any city in this, there is also a clear hierarchy. Glamorous heights are reserved for the most popular and beloved inhabitants (like the singer Ernesto de la Cruz), barely the suburban suburbs - the half-forgotten unmarried. If you were alive during your lifetime, then you will still have nothing to do; you will become a dust when the last living man finally forgets you. And you did not have a family, then it did not mean to be remembered. Miguel, though in the center of the film, does not stand out with anything overwhelming. This is a story of the dead and the special tribute that the Mexicans give them for the affirmation of death and the deep worship of her. The idea that a person really dies only when no one remembers him is so firmly stated that the need for a prominent protagonist is dropping. The movie works perfectly without one. Of course, there are also Pixar's usual motives such as family reunion, identity search, and so on. The villain is expected to be one-sided and predictable. Animated films, however mature they are in recent times, rarely distance themselves from traditional notions of good and evil. In Coco's Secret, it makes a bad impression - it is quite obvious when and how the screenwriters take on the easy, morally endless way.
Otherwise, the film does not suffer from the vices typical of the genre: it does not rely on overly humor, nor does it overdo the lazy moments. When they do exist, they somehow fit into the overall narrative. If Coco's Secret is really a journey, Pixar is a very decent guide. Mention also deserves the music. Michael Jacobino has established himself as the classic composer of the studio and although his work on projects such as Ratatouille and the Incredibles is an idea more memorable, it is more than decent here. The Mexican element is audible but also delicate enough - we do not forget that we are in Mexico, but we are not reminded of any note. The vocal performances make a remarkable impression of the song Remember Me and its nine different versions in the official soundtrack. The film raises many existential questions - most of them inconvenient - and does not answer unequivocally to any of them. Should we sacrifice our dreams for the family? Why is the memory of us more important than ourselves? Why only memorial people deserve eternal life? This is Coco's true secret that will remain unrecognizable.
