THE BOOK OF LIFE

US, 2014, 95 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana, Channing Tatum, Ron Perlman, Christina Applegate, Ice Cube, Kate del Castillo, Hector Elizondo, Danny Trejo, Placido Domingo.
Directed by Jorge R. Guttierez.

The Book of Life is a rather exotic animated film, coming from the United States, but set in Mexico, especially focusing on the Feast of the Dead.

But it also has two different time periods, on earth, and in the afterlife – and themes of heaven and hell.

The animation and the colour design have a touch of the exotic, the flamboyance of Mexican costumes, music and dance, as well as of religious celebrations.

There is also a story of a triangle, the girl Maria, and two young boys who are attracted by her, one becoming the bullfighter, the other in the military – and this continues when Maria comes back from school and the two men are adults and clash over her.

There would be a question of how interesting this is for a young audience, perhaps far too much for little children, perhaps the rivalry of interest for those a bit older, and for teenagers the complexities of the plot. It might be said that the film is more effective for an adult audience.
The voice cast is quite eclectic, with Diego Luna and Channing Tatum as the rivals, Zoe Saldana as Maria – and Ron Perlman and others, from Ice Cube to Placido Domingo, as voices for the other world.

1. An American animation film, the influence from Mexico, legends and myths, costumes address, the Feast of the Dead? The need for cultural awareness?

2. The aged target for the film, children and their response, adults and the characters in themes?

3. The visual style, the design, colour, Hispanic? Characters and their shapes and forms, costumes and decor, the range of action?

4. The voice cast?

5. The introduction, the guide, the recalcitrant children, the Museum, her control, getting through the wall, remarks, visions of Mexico, illustrations, the Mexican world?

6. The Land of Memories and The Land of the Forgotten?

7. The Lord of life, the Queen, the bets between them, over the centuries, the rivalries? The new bet? The Day of the Dead? People going to the cemetery? Adults and children?

8. Establishing the situation with Manolo, Joaquin, Maria? As children, their friendship, playing, Joaquin and the sword, Manolo and the guitar, their love for Maria? The powers seeing this? The beggar asking for bread? Manolo yes, Joaquin no? The revelation of characters?

9. Manolo, playing, his father wanting him to be a bullfighter like himself? His dead mother? The attitude of Maria’s father? Praising Joaquin, his military training? Manolo’s father not wanting him to be a musician?

10. Maria, sent away? The train ride, the boys running after her, hopes? Her return from her education, adult?

11. Manolo and Joaquin as adults, friendship, rivalry, memories of Maria? The respective careers? Their parents?

12. The Lord of the Dead and the Queen, observing? The nature of the bet? Manolo and Maria, the deception on Manolo, thinking Maria dead? His death?

13. His going to the two worlds, the land of the forgotten, the land of those remembered? The visuals of these two lands, the characters, the powers? Manolo and his journey, his search? The Queen and her concern?

14. On earth, the bandit, terrorising the town, the confrontation with Joaquin?

15. Manolo and his experience, finding his mother, his family, the happy reunion? His mother urging him back to earth?

16. The Lord relenting, Manolo’s return to earth, the rivalry for Maria, the final choice?

17. The touches of comedy, the eccentric characters, the singing, the music? The touches of the serious, the Day of the Dead, The land of the forgotten, the land of the remembered?

18. The happy reunion of the Lord and the Queen? The irony of the schoolteacher and her link with the Queen?

19. The reaction of the children listening, rowdy, attentive to the story, asking further questions, the impact at the end?