Song of the Sea (Tomm Moore, 2014): Ireland/Denmark/Belgium/Luxemburg/France

Reviewed by Angela Ostermeier. Viewed at the AFI Fest, 2014

From director Tomm Moore comes the visually intriguing animated film that takes you to a place you’ve never been before. Song of the Sea, is the story of a zealous young boy who is dealing with the stages of grief from the loss of his mother after giving birth to his sister. As Conor (David Rowle), tries to handle the pressures of being an older brother and dealing with the depression of his father voiced by Brendan Gleeson, he loses track of the promises he made his mother. The film tells the story of a small Irish family and a magical sea creature called a Selkie that uses the power of singing to save other mysterious supernatural beings. Throughout the film audiences learn that Conor’s 6-year-old sister Saoirse, who hasn’t spoken a single word is one of the elusive Selkies. While Conor holds a lot of resentment towards his younger sister Saoirse for getting them removed from the care of their father on the seaside and placed in city with their grandmother (Fionnula Flanagan),  he uncovers more than just secrets on his way back home. This film takes audiences on a magical journey as the characters discover the importance of love and family.

Brendan Gleeson and Fionnula Flanagan lend their voices as the lead adults in this film which is a nice change to the characters we are use to seeing them play. Gleeson is known for his roles in serious action/adventure movies where he typically plays the nemesis while Flanagan chooses roles that tend to be serious dramas. This film gets to show a different side to each actor even with just their voices. Song of the Sea is a beautifully bright animated film with eye popping color that helps guide the story in a way that only the greats could hope to achieve. With fantastic visuals and calming lullaby’s from composer Nostradine Benguezzou (Coralline) and musician Bruno Coulais, this is a parents dream come true when looking for a sweet and wholesome film for their child.

While the film displays many references towards religion and magic the innocence of the characters keep this movie light and warm. The directors choice of camera movements, curves, and circular angles of the animation suggests the emphasis on ffemininityand ties back in with the plot line of the loss of motherhood. Director Tomm Moore is no stranger to animation and has even been nominated for the 2010 Academy Award for best animated film for his work on The Secret of Kells.

While at times the movie went in a dark direction especially with scenes involving the owl witch named Macka, also voiced by Fionnula Flanagan, I believed that overall this a film for the whole family. It was an emotional and touching movie about a family as they attempt to reconnect with each other after tragedy. Next time you are looking for an family oriented, animated fantasy put down the Disney movie and immerse yourselves into the adventure that is Song of the Sea.