This review was made possible by Netflix providing an advanced screener of Vivo.
Sony Pictures Animation and Netflix’s latest hit Vivo will certainly be a new favourite amongst both families and also fans of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s previous work. I had the honour of seeing this film early and thought it was wonderful and in all a beautiful story of music, and the love we can express with music. Read my full, spoiler-free thoughts below.
A Musical Journey Worth the Wait
Vivo marks Sony Pictures Animation’s second film release of 2021, and I would argue it stands up to rival the prior release from Sony, The Mitchells vs. The Machines, another film which I really enjoyed. Whilst both films are completely different, with one being a musical and the other not. They both carry themes of family, and it is those themes that make them the wonderful stories they are. Miranda does a fantastic job when storytelling through music, and it is a credit to him as well as the writers of this film, why this story of love and hope is a fantastic one.
The love letter to music itself has been in the works for a long time, with Miranda writing the songs after the success of In the Heights on Broadway. The film was originally picked up by DreamWorks Animation but was dropped, and picked up again by Sony Animation in 2015, where Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes “rediscovered the journey” which led to the version which will be released on Netflix next week.
Family, Love, and Lin-Manuel Miranda
Whilst also taking us on a journey of love, one of my favourite aspects of this movie is the different and exotic locations we get to see. Vivo takes us from beautiful Havana, Cuba where we first meet our titular character (voiced by Lin-Manuel Miranda) and his best friend Andrés (Juan de Marcos), who perform for tourists in the city’s plaza. Other locations during the film include The Floridian Everglades, Miami and Key West (where we meet Andrés’ niece Gabi who accompanies Vivo for the duration of the film, and the pair make for a dynamic duo definitely.
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s character, the one-of-a-kind, musically gifted kinkajou, who spends his days performing for tourists in Havana is definitely a suave and cool character. Not only does the writing benefit his persona, but it also provides a good dynamic once we are introduced to Andres’ niece Gabi during the story as the two embark on a journey together to reach Marta’s (Gloria Estefan) farewell show in Miami. Accompanied by a kick-ass song, which is described by the animation team as one that takes inspiration from modern-day social media, both are a lot of fun to watch as they brave the world by themselves, coming across perils such as Snakes, and Girl Scouts…
Miranda’s Musical Trademark
One of the highlights to this film is of course the signature Lin-Manuel Miranda soundtrack. Vivo features 8 eight original songs, all written by Miranda, and all of them make the backbone of this wonderful film. A personal favourite has definitely got to be “Love’s Gonna Pick You Up”, which is performed by Dancarino (Brian Tyree Henry) and Valentina (Nicole Byer) in what I can describe as a sequence of love after the two flamingos rescue Vivo from the dangers of The Everglades… It has a catchy rhythm and will definitely be played over and over again for a while after this film.
On top of the soundtrack, the film is itself absolutely stunning from the locations, to the visuals and the vibrant colours used throughout the course of the film. Every different location feels unique and vibrant, and it’s a credit to the animators for producing another stunning visual film. Two-time Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins served as Visual Consultant for the film, and that is another key reason why Vivo looks amazing.
“Vivo is very different from other projects I have worked on,” Deakins points out. “This film has a very distinct look, not just between the real world and the fantasy worlds or the kind of imagination involved, but also because of its locations. The look is separate from location to location.”
Roger Deakins, to Netflix (from Press Pack)
‘Vivo’ – Final Thoughts
This film is definitely a fun one and I certainly recommend this film for anyone who is seeking a fun time, with a side of wonderful music. Lin-Manuel Miranda shines as a talking monkey and the rest is history, another LMM classic for sure…
Vivo debuts on Netflix around the world on Friday, 6th August
The Review
Vivo
This film is definitely a fun one and I certainly recommend this film for anyone who is seeking a fun time, with a side of wonderful music. Lin Manuel Miranda shines as a talking monkey and the rest is history, another LMM classic for sure...
