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Colin Farrell (making a rare appearance with his native Irish accent) stars as Syracuse, a struggling fisherman in a small coastal town of Ireland. His life is a difficult one, estranged from his alcoholic wife and still suffering from the reputation left by his own alcoholism (from which he has mercifully rehabilitated himself), Syracuse scrapes a meagre living from increasingly lean fishing stocks. The one light in his life is his young daughter Annie, who is tragically suffering from a degenerative kidney disease and must regularly visit a local clinic for dialysis. Things begin to change, however, when Syracuse makes an unexpected catch: a mysterious woman named Ondine. She refuses to be seen by the townsfolk, and Syracuse, locked in his isolated and confused life, is convinced that she is a selkie: a mythical mermaid-like being, but half seal instead of fish. As Ondine becomes closer to Syracuse, and soon to Annie, the effect she has on their lives creates an effect almost as magical as her origins. But as with every folkloric tale there is a dark side which accompanies the bright and the beautiful. It's rare to find a fairy tale for adults, and rarer still to find one that's  effective, but Ondine bravely discovers a secret to making it work: play it realistically. By making Syracuse and Annie as dubious of the selkie myth at first as we are, and then gradually accepting it as part of the nature of events, the audience are slowly and almost imperceptibly drawn into this alluring world where the fantastic (so contrasting to the painful reality) suddenly seems possible. Gone are the giant flags that show is that mythical beings are visual extravaganzas, and equally absent are the flamboyant emotional moments and melodramatic reveals. This restraint makes the increasing drama so much more effective.The clever balance between dream and reality isn't all that the film has going for it. Colin Farrell continues his excellent career trajectory as Syracuse, reminding us of his ever more impressive ability to exceed expectations. He is ably support by an almost unrecognisable Dervla Kirwan as his alcoholic wife, a radiantly beautiful Alicja Bachleda (Farrell's real-life partner) as Ondine, and the brilliantly talented Alison Barrie as young daughter Annie. A touching piece of fantasy for the discerning viewer that delivers on all of the key fairy tale elements without compromising the suspension of disbelief. A success on all counts I'd say. Rating: **** Starring: Colin Farrell, Alicja Bachleda, Alison Barry, Dervla Kirwan, Stephen Rea, Tony Curran Director: Neil Jordan Run time: 111 mins Certificate: UK 12A | Ireland 12A | US PG-13 Release date: 5th March 2010 Review by Michael Edwards
For more fairy tale cinema, check out Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland or MicMacs... |
A unique modern fairy tale, Ondine somehow makes the simplest and most far-fetched of plots into something that is not only believable and absorbing, but utterly devoid of all that is saccharin, self-indulgent or over sentimental.
