Song of the Sea (Tomm Moore, 2014) UK/Ireland

Reviewed by Kate Michael. Viewed at the Egyptian Theater, Hollywood.

Song of the Sea is a beautiful animated story from Irish director Tomm Moore. In a quaint house by the sea, big brother Ben and his father welcome his little sister, Saoirse, into the world. Having lost his mother during his sister’s birth, Ben is not his sister’s biggest fan who still cannot speak at the age of 6. Grief striken on Saoirse’s birthday and the anniversary of his wife’s death, the father drinks at a pub while at home his Saoirse breaks into their lighthouse, finds a coat that magically transforms her into a selkie (Irish folklore for a woman who can turn into a seal) and she swims until she falls asleep on the seashore. After being discovered by their crotchety grandmother, Saoirse and Ben are taken away from their father and beloved dog to live in the city with her. Intent on finding his way back to his home, Ben leads them on a journey through many mystical places which leads to a greater understanding about selkies and Saoirse.

Much like a child, as an audience member I found myself transfixed by the beautiful animation brought to the screen by Moore. The film is a nod to yesteryear both in its telling of a dying folklore and in the style of animation itself. Though the film was hand illustrated, Moore creates a distinct background, middleground, and foreground using layers of drawings and watercolors in a similar vein to his Academy Award nominated The Secret of Kells. As far as its artistry goes, Moore outdoes his previous film with an exceptional amount of varied textured and patterns incorporated into the scenery. I sat in awe of the deep sea and all of the film’s mystical creatures. The amount of work that the animation took–24 months total–is deeply mesmerizing and I found it difficult to sit and takes notes on the film, as all I wanted to do was keep watching!

While maintaining a style all its own, Song of the Sea joins the ranks with many other contemporary animated features such as Pixar classics Toy Story and Wall-e as a film that can be enjoyed by children, parents, grandparents, and everyone inbetween. Its depth is accessible and varied from themes related to the importance of culture and tradition to the consequences of bottling up emotion. This film is one everyone can enjoy.