Anthony Gonzalez

Listen to Miguel Rivera in Coco (2017): Anthony Gonzalez makes the boy's feelings clear without squeezing every line for sympathy. We were moved by the film's fear of being forgotten, made more immediate by that plain, approachable voice. Even when the journey through the afterlife gets cluttered with plot, Miguel remains worth following. It is a persuasive performance in a family musical we recommend, with some patience required for the adventure surrounding him.

His singing matters to that impression. Coco was Gonzalez's breakthrough, and he performed several songs as well as voicing its lead, drawing on early experience with mariachi music. The acting and singing feel part of the same performance, rather than two skills being presented in turn. A live-action lead in Icebox (2018) followed, then voice and motion-capture work as Diego Castillo in the game Far Cry 6 (2021). Those changes of medium give us reasons to follow him, though our judgement rests chiefly on Coco.

Director Lee Unkrich gives Gonzalez useful company. Gael García Bernal's Héctor has a roughness that keeps the cheer from becoming too polished, while Alanna Ubach gives Mamá Imelda the firmness the family tensions need. Gonzalez's direct delivery fits between those contrasting voices without being pushed aside by either. We keep following the relationships because the actors make them matter, even when the film is busy adding complications that do not make it more interesting.

We have less to say with confidence about the later performances, and Miguel alone is not proof that every kind of part will suit him. What interests us is how little he needs to insist on a feeling to make it register. A less crowded story would be a welcome place to hear that again. Begin with Coco, and pay attention to the speaking as well as the songs.