Ok, ok, so I recently went to see the movie and let me tell you something… it’s more than just a movie, es una obra de arte.
I’m not joking, really, my expectations went beyond what I thought. It was amazing in every way. Well, maybe I’m gonna make some spoilers, but I found myself in need of telling you my experience as a Mexican point of view.
Because yes, I’m proudly Mexican.
1. Estás muy flaco, ¡come más!
This is funny.
In each family, at least in mine, it is normal that your grandmother wants to feed you because, according to her, you are very thin. And this reminded me a lot of my grandmother, whom I sweetly called Yaya. And yes, she is a strong, very determined woman who always fills my plate with lots of food.
There was no time to take the eyes off every scene, every color, every sound, literally. In the land of the living, the colors were relatively balanced, since it is a village, when dusk comes, which illuminates each house in a beautiful orange color. The colorful cemeteries and ofrendas captivated me greatly, for the passion with which we adorn the tombs of our departed is more than a tradition; is a connection that even Death itself can never take away.
My God, I can’t believe Disney has started its own theme with Mariachi music.
AY, AY, AY!!
That. was. Phenomenal.
The rest of the film, when I started to hear the voices of each character singing, dancing or even playing guitar, I almost felt like jumping and singing, clapping and dancing. If anything you must be sure, is that when a Mexican hears that kind of music, mariachi, trumpets, violins, the shoe, the drums, gives him an infinite desire to be celebrating forever.
That’s typical of mexican family. No, seriously. Once my Yaya threw me la chancla voladora when I was little and I was running and they had yelled at me to stop. That could not be missing!
If you have never been threatened with la chancla, or much less have hit you with it, trust me, as a mexican you had no childhood.
Originally, the song La Llorona is sung by Chavela Vargas. If you have never heard of it, I strongly recommend that you do so. That was totally amazing!
Ay, de mí llorona. Llorona, tú eres mi chunca. Ay, de mí llorona. Llorona, tú eres mi chunca…
Y aunque me cueste la vida, llorona, no dejaré de quererte. Y aunque me cueste la vida, llorona, no dejaré de quererte…
Miguel’s great-great-grandmother sang it with such sentiment made me shed tears, because I’ve heard it since I was a little girl. My grandmother sometimes sings it when she’s cooking.
6. Ay, Ernesto, no te rajes
Yes, yes, YES!!!
I actually knew that Ernesto de la Cruz was inspired by Pedro Infante. OH, MY GOD! I love this man so much!
Maybe you can remember him with the song Ay, Jalisco no te rajes! (From the movie The Tree Caballeros) There are other songs that I recommend you to hear. But my favorite has always been that.
Yo soy Mexicano, Mexico Lindo, Ella, Entre suspiro y suspiro, El Abandonado, and more…
7. Alebrijes
Actually, this was a very original idea that I loved.
Alebrijes are imaginary beings made up of physiognomic elements of different animals, a combination of several animals, not only fantastic but also real. They’re handicrafts made with the technique of the cartonería, that they are painted with joyful colors and vibrant.
Alebrijes are one of the many wonders of Mexican art and a pride and the hallmark of Oaxaca. Having a alebrije or a collection of them at home is considered good luck and it is said that happiness will accompany anyone who owns one of these works of art. In addition, owning a alebrije is to possess the best of Mexican art, so vast, so colorful, so full of life and a beauty recognized internationally.
8. La Familia es primero
Even though The Book of Life is also another of my favorite movies, something made me even love more Coco than this.
It may sound a little… cliché, but for me the family has always been the most important thing. In fact, I quite identified with Miguel’s family. I could see in my own flesh not only my grandmother, but my uncles, my cousins and my other relatives. We don’t live in one house, we live in different places.
Traditionally my grandfathers are doctors, and they wanted my mother to be a doctor, but she preferred to study theater just as my father studied music. And there could be no doubt that her own daughter would also want to be an artist.
When I first went to Europe to visit the Universities, my grandmother, who repudiated the idea of being an artist, came to me one day and said to me: “It’s your life, you decide what you want and what you choose will be always good for me.”
The love of the family is so different and so unique, that to a certain point it made me realize that I do not need love of a couple if I have people that I can always talk to and who can support me too.
9. Recuérdame
This song was definitely the best of the best. Full of feelings, full of dedication, I should applaud the effort for composers, I haven’t had the privilege of hearing it in English, but I think you should also listen to it in Spanish, and I say it because the song sounds infinitely cool. and with the voice of the characters, made my skin prickly and shed more tears.
10. Mama Coco
This, without a doubt, is my favorite. The entire character of mama Coco.
She may not appear more than some scenes from the entire film, but she is a very important and very captivating character. The relationship she has with Miguel is very special, an old mind and a big-hearted young man, the love of grandparents or great-grandparents is so strong and has no limits…
I have lived with my great-grandparents since I was two years old, and I loved them with all my heart just like them to me.
They are no longer with me…
But that does not mean that I have forgotten them. I remember them every day, every moment, when I least expect it, I sometimes dream about them. Sometimes I ask my grandparents how they were as young people, and I could imagine their lives in black and white films, where they wore dresses and suits.
The times of my great-grandfathers were hard, but were also beautiful, they enjoyed their entire life and were happy. Mama Coco was able to leave the world knowing that her father loved her and sang for the last time. Recuérdame with her great-grandchild.
What a beautiful scene, so simple, so lovely, that speaks for much.
Believe it or not, I loved Coco more than The Book of Life.
But I don’t think there has to be some anger cause somehow they seem to be something in como. For God’s sake, they do NOT seem at all, at least of the plot.
Is more than obvious that the producers and the cast made a mega effort to make the film an original work, and yes, it is original, cause there were so many unexpected twists, plus that, again, made me cry.
Don’t hate Coco, really, the movie is worth seeing, and it is such a beautiful and so cute way of putting the family theme.
The Book of Life talked about fear in being yourself: there is nothing wrong of being yourself and always follow your heart, while Coco talks about that it is okay to follow your dreams, but also think about your family, think about something that goes more beyond your expectations, but what you choose will always have the support of your family.
Two films focusing on Mexico, focusing on El Dia de los Muertos, two films that use direct themes, but that somehow made me realize what Life is like.
If you did not know that, it is alright it is not your job to know everything about ever culture but allow me to explain exactly what Day of the Dead is:
Día De Los Muertos/ Day of the Dead is a celebration but not so much of one like Halloween,
In the mornings there are typically parades all filled with laughter, dance, beautiful decorations, and music of course it is fun we celebrate the life we have
But we don’t paint our faces and go parading down the street for nothing, its not a thing we do just because it is fun
We MOURN
We honor those who has passed and made the journey to the afterlife
Each year families to to Grave sights (which are NOT for your aesthetically pleasing selfies please) to pay respects and visit those who have already gone
Mexicans and Hispanics are very family oriented people, at the grave sights you can often hear mother wailing out for their children who passed too soon or men knelt over their mother’s grave sobbing and of course children crying for their parents
People pray and cry out, they sob and scream
Yes it is a day of remembrance and we honor them but it is still painful, we miss those who once walked with us
Families and friends typically bring favorite food, flowers, drinks, etc to the graveyards
Do NOT make fun of that. Please.
DON’T post skeleton memes aimed at Day of The Dead, the calavera/sugar skulls are meant to represented the parted souls of loved ones with names etched onto the forehead and the skulls painted on our faces are meant to ward off more death
DON’T disrespect grave sights, this is an obvious thing not to do people
DON’T celebrate if you do not intend of respecting and honoring those who have passed and just want it as a second Halloween
DON’T mock people celebrating or any of the traditions
DON’T mess the with petals, those orange petals are from a flower called
cempoalxochitl, and they are meant to help guide the dead back to their homes so their spirits can too visit
Don’t get me wrong Day of the Dead isn’t always sad it is also fun and amazing and beautiful, we not only honor those who have gone but we celebrate those who have lived this long, we celebrate the life we have and acknowledge the fact we made it this far, death is a natural cycle, death will take us all one day but not today, and that is the reason why we celebrate! It is a beautifully melancholy holiday, and remember Day of the Dead is actually multiple days do please be mindful!
