One of my favorite things about Coco is it's that kind of story you can "read" in different levels. I mean, the main plot didn't surprise me when I watched the movie for the first time, but I didn't care the slightest, because I enjoyed A LOT the way everything was being set: how the key information was never said aloud, how the characters' path crossed several times without actually meeting, all the misunderstandings here and there… In a way, it was like if there was another story happening behind the scenes.
For example, one of those moments I love the most is Poco Loco scene. When the Rivera family gets to Plaza de la Cruz looking for Miguel, he and Héctor are performing on the stage and nobody seems to notice. Julio, Rosita and Victoria know nothing about Héctor, I suppose the twins got used to ignore his music too, but Imelda? Imelda would've noticed for sure. It was her song, after all. But she's the only one that didn't enter the plaza.
And if you look closely…
She did actually take a few steps towards the plaza, but then Héctor starts singing his verses of Poco Loco and she immediately faces the stage (actually, the twins are also looking at the stage quite shockingly, tbh; at least, one of them). The next thing we know is she has vanished. I like to think she saw him performing and then flew, but the movie couldn't show us her actual reaction, because (by then) we didn't know who Héctor actually was yet.
Another example I like a lot: there are many people that think the twins don't recognize/know anything about Héctor in the Land of the Dead, but look at the bridge scene.
One of the twins is smiling when Héctor shows up disguised as Frida. Why the hell is he smiling like that, when just a moment before they were all stressed about Imelda's and Miguel's situation? And it's a smug smile, like if he (Felipe or Óscar) was suppressing a chuckle ("So it's Frida this year, eh? Come on, Héctor"). But look how cleverly the frame of the scene is set, so his eyes are out of sight and we don't know where that twin is looking at exactly. As far as we know, he could've been lost in his thoughts or he could've spotted his brother in law.
And in the next moment, when Héctor manages to cross and runs to the bridge…
They're whispering! He's telling something to his brother and this is smiling too!
"There he goes again" "Pobre diablo" "I'm glad Imelda's not here to witness this" "It would be the icing on the cake…"
We will never know what are the twins doing or talking about, it's something out of our reach; but that's the magic of this kind of details. You can imagine whatever you want, and Coco is full of moments like these.
Recently, I've also noticed the faces of Rosa and Abel while the family is scolding Miguel after finding out his hideout. She looks concerned.
He looks shocked when Miguel's talking about Ernesto.
And when Elena is about to smash the guitar, Abel's not surprised, he's in pain.
Now I wonder for how long these two kids have also been loving music in secret, and if they weren’t caught just because they were better at hiding it than Miguel.
