Tomm Moore, Oscar-nominated director of The Secret Of Kells, has managed to improve on visual perfection in the visually sumptuous Song Of The Sea. The warm and emotively layered story of a young boy whose sister is revealed to be a Selkie, transforming into a seal in water; Song Of The Sea blends mysticism, myth, emotional realism – and a visual style that is truly enchanting.
Ben (voiced by Moone Boy’s David Rawle) isn’t too fond of his mute younger sister Saoirse (Lucy O’Connell), and gets little attention from his widowed father (Brendan Gleeson.) Taken from their home in an isolated lighthouse by their city-dwelling Grandmother, the children attempt to run home – but Saoirse’s powers are detected, and she’s kidnapped by magical creatures, transforming Ben’s journey home into a rescue mission.
The visuals are simply breathtaking, with watercolour backgrounds evoking the ever-changing light of an Irish sky, while the swirling, mysterious depths of the ocean is captured in the richest of blues and greens. Celtic swirls subtly highlight the shapes of shells, clouds and rocks, bringing a uniquely Irish beauty to the animation. Unlike The Secret Of Kells, which was based in the visual language of stained glass windows, Song Of The Sea focuses on weather and texture and the feel of air and water.
The texture is felt in the story and the sound, too, as the interactions with fairies, ancient storytellers and an owl witch (Fionnula Flanagan) are accompanied by an etherial score and Irish-language songs; highlighting an older storytelling tradition that also strengthens the modern animation.
A tale where form highlights the message; that magic can be found everywhere, that stories have power, and that both grief and love need to be felt for our lives to be true.