Book of Life (2014)
- Oct 23, 2014
- 1 min read
Directed by: Jorge R. Gutiérrez
Starring: Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum, Diego Luna
Premièred in 2014 in Rio de Janiro, Brazil, released in the UK on October 24th 2014.
Manolo (Luna), and Joaquin (Tatum) have been best friends since childhood and are both in love with the beautiful Maria (Saldana). Their plight draws the attention of La Muerte and Xibalba who place a bet on who the young woman will ultimately choose. Their lives are thrown into disarray when Xibalba tries to cheat, resulting into a vibrant story about love, friendship, and being true to yourself that crosses between the living world, and those of the dead.
Without a doubt, the strongest aspect of this film is the style of its animation, with incredibly creative character designs that reflect the storytelling framework that bookends the film. Everything is stylised and memorable, sticking in your mind long after the credits roll. The layers of the story are nuanced, posing conflicts and confusions between the characters in a way that is easy to grasp for children in the audience, as well as addressing some darker topics such as personal shame, family legacy, and loss.
While it wouldn't hold up if compared like-for-like to any of the big name studios, it's a solid contender and will no doubt be something fans revisit for years to come.
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