With 2009's The Secret of Kells, Irish director Tomm Moore established a singular vision in the domain of traditionally animated features. Incorporating pagan and Christian folklore and adapting the striking visuals of an illuminated manuscript, the film presented a fantasy that was at once kid-friendly and shaded with essential Dark Ages menace. In his sophomore feature, Song of the Sea, Moore has improved on this formula to stunning effect. Set in present-day Ireland and rendered in an unfailingly gorgeous storybook style, Song proves as sumptuous as it is touching.
Middle-schooler Ben (David Rawle) lives with his widower father (Brendan Gleeson) and mute little sister Saoirse (Lucy O’Connell) in a lighthouse on a rocky spire. Like their lost mother, Saoirse is revealed to be a selkie, a shape-changer who becomes a seal when she dons her enchanted coat. Once Saoirse discovers this birthright, the children are packed off to the mainland with Gran (Fionnula Flanagan). However, events have been put into motion by Saoirse's mystical awakening, and Ben soon finds himself tangling with all manner of legendary creatures.
Song is a feast of eye-popping design, with an aesthetic that is half Bronze Age and half Cartoon Network. The filmmakers stuff the feature with strange, charming elements adapted from Celtic legend. Ensnared in bewitched jars, emotions become tiny storm clouds, whirlwinds, and rainbows. A wizened gnome’s colossal beard flows like silvery liquid through his grotto lair. The film's story follows a familiar mythical framework, albeit with a half twist: Saoirse might be the Chosen One, but Ben is the hero, compelled to re-discover his courage and familial devotion when his little sister is threatened. Ultimately, what makes Song of the Sea so memorable is not just its bittersweet story, nor its rich visual artistry, but the way that everything harmonizes so splendidly.
Song of the Sea opens Friday, February 27 at the Tivoli Theatre, 6350 Delmar, 314-727-7271.
