(Ireland/Luxembourg/Belgium/France/Denmark,
93 min.)
Dir. Tomm Moore, Writ. Will
Collins
Starring: Brendan Gleeson,
Fionnula Flanagan, David Rawle, Pat Shrott, Jon Kenny
Come explore the world of Cartoon
Saloon when the breathtaking animated feature Song of the Sea has its Ottawa premiere today at Irish Film
Festival Ottawa. The film carries a nomination from this year’s Oscars, but it
would have been a worthy winner. Song
is Cartoon Saloon’s latest animated feature following 2010’s equally beautiful The Secret of Kells, and if the
animation world worries about a dearth of classically-composed animation given the
uncertain forecast of Studio Ghibli, then Song
of the Sea shows that this Irish animation house could be the future of the
art form. It’s simply one of the enjoyable and most visually striking animated
films in some time.
The Secret of Kells director Tomm Moore
creates another magical world infused with fantasy and folklore when Song of the Sea transports audiences to
the captivating seaside town that houses a young mute girl named Saoirse (Lucy
O’Connell) and her big brother Ben (David Rawle). They live in a lighthouse
with their melancholy dad (Brendan Gleeson), who has never quite recovered from
the departure of their mother. All that remains of mum is her memory, a quaint
little tune, and a seashell, and when Saoirse’s restlessness with growing older
leads to explore the seashell flute, she discovers the magical secret that her
father hides beneath his sadness.
It turns out that their mother is
a selkie and Saoirse may be one too as evidenced by her ability to swim and
commune with the seals that circle in the sea. A selkie, if memory of Ondine serves
correct, is something akin to a mermaid that emerges from the sea and lives on
land while charming the world with its beautiful songs. Song of the Sea carries the tune of the selkie as the musical
element of folklore leads Saoirse on a journey beyond her imagination.
The music also connects Saoirse
and Ben with their roots when their cranky grandmother (Fionnula Flanagan) takes
them away from their father and the lighthouse and into the city where she
believes they’ll have a better, more stable life. As Saoirse escapes into the
notes of the shell flute (and into the selkie skin of her granny’s best fur
coat), wafts of light—little firefly-like things—come to Saoirse at the beckon of
the selkie’s call. Saoirse leads them like the Pied Piper as more mythical
creatures come out of hiding. The flute becomes Saoirse’s own voice and the key
to her mother’s past, and the two connect in harmony as the little girl unlocks
both their fears through the music.
The enchanting melodies of Song of the Sea come thanks to an ethereal
and haunting soundtrack by Bruno Coulais and the band Kila. The score brings
the film to life on levels both dramatic and spiritual as the world of Celtic
folklore is richly realized. The film offers a full immersion into folklore, a
deep plunge into a sea of myth and imagination, and it’s a beautifully
refreshing experience to let a film wash over you as wonderfully and fully as Song of the Sea does.
The animation itself dazzles as
Moore and his team create an intricate and exquisitely detailed world that
draws upon myth, folklore, and storybook wisdom. Like The Tale of Princess Kaguya, which comes to theatres courtesy of
GKIDS, Song of the Sea proves that
some of the best animation today reaches an audience of all ages. The film is
sprightly and accessible enough for young kids to be amused and entranced by
its whimsical virtues, but Song is a film
for adults first and foremost as it creates a deft, artful tale about helping
the younger generation find its voice through an immersion in arts and culture.
And, much like some of the classic animation to which it shares an affinity, Song of the Sea shows that some of the
most timeless approaches to the art form still have ample terrain to cover. Song of the Sea is pure ageless magic.
Rating: ★★★★ (out of ★★★★★)
Song of the Sea screens at Irish Film Festival Ottawa on Saturday, March 28 at 2:00pm at Arts Court Theatre.
