Elizabeth Smith

I am not a Spanish speaker, so I had to watch the captioned version of this. It doesn't matter what language you speak (there are multiple official captions available), because this animated short's meaning is poignantly apparent in any language. It is touching how children like the boy in this short are being given awareness in today's society that relies on stereotypes and common expectations, and how he is treated like any other person by his best friend Maria, despite the fact that he can neither walk or talk. The beauty of this interabled friendship between Maria and her classmate is orchestrated through her usage of a jump rope to help him move his hands and feet on the playground. In fact, "Cuerdas" actually means "Strings" in English. I won't spoil the ending here, but do be forewarned if you're easily emotional-- you might need some tissues. However, everyone should watch this beautiful film at least once, as it gives attention to an underrepresented population in our world and highlights a gorgeous friendship between its two protagonists. It holds personal meaning to me, as I had an amazing friend like the boy in this film, and hopefully it will change your life like my bond with him changed mine.

OPAL is a deeply layered, deeply impactful, and very, very important film. I don't want to spoil it. All I'll say is that it deals with very heavy subject matter. If you're sensitive to more intense content, you may want to look up a synopsis or content warning ahead of time like I did.

Lin Manuel-Miranda is best known for Hamilton, but he's not a newcomer to Disney. He composed the songs for Moana, which to me were fine but a bit bland and lacking. In composing Encanto, however, Manuel-Miranda OUTDOES himself with a near-flawless lineup of songs and I am floored by how incredible this soundtrack is. Each song is packed with emotion, lyrical beauty, and genius instrumentation. The singers vary widely in vocal tone and style, each bringing something different to their performances, especially in the case of Jessica Darrow's husky alto tone in "Surface Pressure". Except for "Colombia, Mi Encanto", which by nature is more of a simplistic celebratory song, each of the musical numbers in this film has a deeper subtext not only in its meaning but also in the score itself, as certain leitmotifs are repeated throughout the songs. My personal favorite song in Encanto is "Waiting on a Miracle" because its lyrics resonate with anyone who has ever felt lonely and unwanted, and the melody is beautifully composed. It didn't strike me as particularly stunning at the time, but after a relisten, now it's one of my favorite "I want" songs in Disney history. In short, an incredible effort from Lin Manuel-Miranda and a must-listen for anyone who wants to hear catchy yet complex songs with that snazzy Colombian flair. :)