Song of the Sea

From the Irish based Cartoon Saloon came this wonder of dreams and innocence, their 2nd piece of pure magic, in 2014. Following the equally loved The Secret of Kells (2009) and preceding the increasingly impressive Wolfwalkers (2020) and The Breadwinner (2018). Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey’s superlative animation studio offers a welcome alternative to Pixar, Disney, and other American brands that dominate the artform, at least in financial terms and global awareness.

Testament to their quality is the fact that all 4 of their films to date have been Oscar nominated as Best Animated Feature. And they are surely closing in on the prize as their reputation grows, and children of all ages discover the alchemy for themselves, even if it is years after their release.

For myself, I may have watched this sooner if there had been a small person in my life to watch it with. Although it is possible to watch and enjoy it as an adult, there is no doubt this particular gem is pitched at around 5 or 6 years old. The colour palette and beauty of the design are quite extraordinary, unlike anything else out there stylistically, which is a delicious thing. As much as Ghibli feels Japanese, this feels European and very specifically Irish; it feels ancient and yet universally modern at the same time. I’d be interested to see how American kids react to it, but for sure, Western European rugrats will adore it.

Simple storytelling, with a measured amount of threat and emotion, blends into the imaginative images seamlessly to make a rich whole that is compelling and mesmeric. The goal is relatable, and the moral is sound. There is nothing to fear except the pervading melancholy of it, which could make a rainy Sunday a little more gloomy. I would suggest it on a Sunny afternoon, in the company of your favourite small person. As it is my first experience of the studio, I can’t testify yet to the magic of all 4 movies, but it would be my safe bet they are all of equal worth – a calm breeze in an antidote of fast, furious and frenetic fare stateside.

It is simply hard to fault in any category, with well paced direction, great voice acting from Brendan Gleeson, etc. Pitch perfect music and sounscapes. And some delightful animation framing a well drafted folk-tale of loss and hope. It displaces some really big animated titles with big iMDb scores to claim a place in my personal top 200 films of the 21st century.

Decinemal Rating: 75