directed by Adrian Molina and Lee Unkrich

5 Stars

As your typical teen who occasionally overthinks about life’s ideals and how one, like myself, communicates these types of thoughts via any kind of art that tells a story. So as a person that really puts her soul into a movie she watches, I have to say that this film is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. Coco does an excellent job at capturing the viewer’s attention from the start. It skillfully portrays the beauty of the “Day of the Dead,” a Mexican tradition, while unravelling one of the most endearing storylines I’ve ever seen in a film, which depicts a young aspiring musician named Miguel and his pursuit of his ambition of being a musician despite the disapproval of his family.

Throughout the film, Miguel entangles himself in an adventurous journey through the land of the dead, and he is caught between the love he has for music and the importance of family. Coco manages to convey the core of what it is to be human in such a simple and lovely way. What it means to love and to be passionate about the things and people you care about. The tale was delivered in such an exquisite manner that it didn’t make me think about the ideals it represented, but rather let me feel them with each scene, without my even analyzing what I was seeing. It did it so gradually that at the conclusion, I was overcome with a sequence that surely ranks among my favourite movie scenes, and I found myself sobbing. I’m not crying as I normally do when a scene moves me. I could go on and on about Coco, but I’ll just say that it’s a great film that I’ve rewatched at least twice. This movie is definitely a must-see!

Manaal I.

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directed by Pete Docter and Kemp Powers

5 Stars

Joe Gardner is a middle school band teacher whose life hasn’t gone exactly how he expected. He feels unfulfilled at his current job, and he knows that with his excellent piano skills, his true passion is jazz. One of his former students informs Joe of an opening in the band of the legend Dorothea Williams. Dorothea is impressed by Joe’s piano playing and offers him a job immediately. Joe gets the amazing opportunity to play at the best jazz club in town that night. However, in the streets of New York, Joe falls down a manhole transporting his soul into the “Great Beyond”, a foyer with a long walkway, where souls line up going to a white light. Not wanting to die so soon, he escapes the pathway and ends up in the “Great Before”, a place where young souls are mentored to discover their personalities and sparks before going to Earth. Because Joe is determined to get back to Earth somehow, he pretends to be an instructor who trains souls. Joe is given a girl who is only known by her number, 22. 22 is a soul who does not like Earth and finds it pointless. Joe desperately tries everything he can to get 22 to find her purpose and passion. Doing so, Joe learns what it means to have a soul.  

Soul is a funny, moving, and incredibly animated film. The film is all about life journey and finding your “spark”. The movie showcases the journey of finding your true purpose by helping each other. The concept is unique and thought-provoking for older audiences, yet still funny and relatable for children. I loved the deeply moving message of appreciating the gift of life. This is a must-watch for the entire family!  

Emily K.

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