Film Review - Song of the Sea

Song of the Sea is the latest offering from Cartoon Saloon, the makers of The Secret of Kells. It tells the story of Ben (David Rawle) whose sister Saoirse begins acting strangely after she comes across an old shell. When the two are sent to live with their strict grandmother (Fionnuala Flanagan), Ben learns that his sister is in fact half-selkie (part-human, part-seal) and is needed to stop all the fairies of the world from being turned to stone.

 

The most striking thing about this film is of course the animation, which is simplistic and yet gives the story a wonderfully surreal touch. This especially comes into its own when we meet the supernatural characters such as the long-haired Seanchaí, the fairies and Macha, the film's villain. Although the flat Medieval look can be a little off-putting, especially whenever there's a landscape shot, the animation can still run wild when the story needs it to and gives the film a distinct charm that you wouldn't get from a 3D-animation.

 

The film boasts a vivid cast of characters that add to this. It's not afraid to show Ben in an unpleasant light when he traumatises his 6-year-old sister with their mother's stories, but manages to show his later redemption completely organically. Saoirse also has a distinct presence as the innocent child figure – as she's mute, the animation is once again called on to convey this to us, showing the animators are just as skilled at nuance as they are at spectacle.

 

There are some familiar voices in the supporting cast. Brendan Gleeson is excellent as their solemn father, while John Kenny and Pat Shortt provide a lively contrast with their mythical roles. Despite being a fairytale, I was glad that the film didn't have a simplistic morality and instead used a villain that was motivated through misunderstanding instead of evil. While the film isn't “scary” as such, the recurring concept of losing your emotions is a genuinely disturbing one, and is made more so through the metaphor of being turned to stone.

 

Finally as an Irish citizen, I was delighted to see the film incorporate some Irish into its soundtrack, especially through its haunting selkie leitmotif. Bruno Coulais and Kíla (who often perform through Irish) give the film a beautiful soundtrack that blends perfectly with its animation and performances.

 

Song of the Sea is, in short, a wonderful film for all ages.