the tale of princess kaguya - much raved about in nziff 2014
i missed that one with the film snob in me saying - animation - pass
not going to make that mistake again so song of the sea is locked in
a single viewing only and we are parked centred first row upstairs
the film opens with a way familiar tune - thank-you the waterboys
the lyrics of w b yeats the stolen child resonating in my head
come away o human child to the waters and the wild
with a faery hand in hand
for the world's more full of weeping that you can understand
this setting the scene for this irish tale set seaside in a lighthouse
young ben is being read a story by his very pregnant mother
the animation of the characters very simple with small features
another appealing factor being the presence of brendan gleeson
providing the voice of ben's father the lighthouse keeper connor
father and son sharing a common hair colour - orange - yes - irish
mum hands a large mollusk shell to ben and tells him to listen to it
coming from it is the song of the sea - so tick - film title explained
as ben falls asleep he sees his mother leaving uttering i'm sorry
the next scene is ben sitting on a rock reading a book - mum's stories
at his foot is his large dog cu and at his side his new sister saoirse (seer-sha)
the animation is richly detailed and looking as though based on watercolours
and more human rather than computer generated artwork - so quite unique
heights and sizes exaggerated to presumably align with a child's viewpoint
conor (dad) is huge and the hill leading up to the lighthouse is very steep
things are not happy there - saoirse does not speak and dad is in a funk
it is clear his wife bronach disappeared on the night saoirse was born
grandma comes for a visit - in a citreon 2cv and heavily caricatured
grumpy, instructive, impatient and despairing of her grandchildren
it is saoirse's 6th birthday - dad heads to the pub on his sad day
and then the magic begins - saoirse calls up the spirits with the mollusk
she is lead to the sea and she swims with the seals and a large whale
it's all quite trippy really and the music of kila adds an extra dimension
grandma is incensed and packs up the 2 kids and heads back to the city
dad and dog left behind - hell it's animated and yet still i'm feeling saddened
crazy things go on in the city with a roundabout the home of some creatures
a sign on the door - ferc off humans - some humour for us adults i suspect
saoirse falls ill and ben decides he has to get her back home to the seaside
and off they go on a magical mystery tour with all sorts of very cosmic effects
the art department now in overdrive with a long sequence of amazing scenes
of course they eventually arrive home and saoirse dons her magic cloak
more scenes of underwater frivolities and happiness then abounds ashore
mother appears in an apparition and the now complete family share the love
she also shares spiritual powers with her daughter who is taken up in her arms
as she leaves saoirse expresses her wish to stay and is granted that on condition
she has to relinquish her magical powers - ok - and - they - all - live - happily...
to cap it off grandma shows up and is embraced by her son and grandkids
ah - nice - this film hits the mark perfectly - it is all that it is promised to be
and the credits go on and on and on - a huge team effort - no surprise
some very happy kids in the audience and just as many buzzing adults
very glad to have caught it in this single viewing - animation - good...
