Sunday, BBC1, 2:05pm
Guillermo del Toro may cast the longest shadow in Mexican fantasy cinema, but Jorge R. Gutierrez’s The Book of Life(2014) proves there’s plenty of room for another visionary in the land of the dead. Produced by del Toro and brimming with folkloric vibrancy, the film takes us on a journey through three realms of the afterlife: the colorful Land of the Remembered, the desolate Land of the Forgotten, and the realm of the living, which seems dull only by comparison. Gutierrez conjures a world rooted in Mexican traditions but infused with a universal appeal—think Tim Burton meets Coco, but with more swagger and a soundtrack to match.
The plot follows Manolo, a bullfighter with a heart for music, caught in a love triangle with the feisty María and the macho Joaquín. But it’s the meddling of deities that kicks the story into high gear. La Muerte and Xibalba, gorgeously designed embodiments of life and death, wager on who will win María’s heart, setting off a chain of events involving heroics, sacrifice, and a whole lot of mariachi spirit. The narrative is straightforward, but the execution is anything but: from the wooden doll-like character designs to the kaleidoscopic landscapes of the afterlife, every frame is a visual delight.
The soundtrack, however, is where The Book of Life truly sings—sometimes literally. Gustavo Santaolalla, a two-time Oscar winner for Brokeback Mountain and Babel, provides a lush original score that dances between heartfelt and exuberant. Meanwhile, the film remixes popular hits with a mariachi twist—who knew Mumford & Sons’ “I Will Wait” could feel so perfectly at home in a Day of the Dead celebration? There’s a cheeky playfulness in hearing Radiohead’s “Creep” reimagined with flamenco guitars, and it works because the music embraces the film’s ethos: a celebration of blending traditions and finding joy in the unexpected. For fans of Grim Fandango or even Kubo and the Two Strings, this is a love letter to storytelling, culture, and the eternal rhythms of life and death.
- Noel Chambers