Tomm Moore has crafted another fantastically beautiful film that is directly inspired by Irish folklore. Where The Secret Of Kells was more historically based, Song Of The Sea uses the mythical creature of the Selkie as its basis. Set in a more modern time the film opens with Ben being tucked into bed by his pregnant mother – but something goes wrong.
We pick up the story 6 years later, on his sister Saoirse’s 6th birthday. Ben is full of resentment and dad Conor is still emotionally distant. Things are so bad Conor’s mother comes and takes the children to live with her in Dublin (I would have thought it Belfast since this is more of a folk tale from the north) but not before Saoirse’s true nature is revealed. Her arrival in the city then sets off an adventure that will bring the two of them closer than ever.
Having been to Ireland I recognized many of the things most would take as decorations, such as the ogham stones. One might think the different shades of green used to represent the fields in the background scenery is some sort of artistic license, but it isn’t. This film has a wonderful art style that uses a great sense of line and color. Visually Song Of the Sea is simply fantastic to watch.
I do not want to spoil the story, but Song Of The Sea does have an ending that is both sad and happy. It feels right, leaves you with questions, and ultimately satisfied for the family. Song Of The Sea isn’t necessarily a heartwarming tale, but it is full of wonderment and magic. It truly does deserve to be seen by more people. Song Of The Sea is a great film.
It isn’t a spoiler to mention the Owl Witch. She is right there in the summary of the film on the back of the Blu-ray case. What I found interesting was how the character was drawn to resemble Ben’s grandmother or at least evoke her image. They are not the same character, but from Ben’s point of view, in a way they are. It is this attention to detail that makes Tomm Moore a great filmmaker. I can’t wait to see what he does next.
Special features are decent, led by an audio commentary by director Tomm Moore. he talks about his inspiration for the story, the style, the music, just about everything you could want. Then we get two featurettes which are far too short and also have optional audio commentary by Moore. The first is a sort of glimpse at the making of the film, mostly time lapse and photos of behind the scenes stuff. Then there are some animation tests showing the actual development process. Finally one featurette doesn’t have extra audio commentary but features concept art and… well, I would have liked to have seen this developed into a full picture in picture option for the whole of the film. Finally we have trailers for the film, including a concept trailer which is vastly different from the finished product.
Song Of The Sea is a fantastic tale that is beautifully animated. If you are a fan of animation at all or Irish legends this is a must-own.