Song of the Sea: An Ancient Tale Retold in an Animated Movie for all Ages

Song of the Sea: Coming to select theaters soon!

‘Song of the Sea’ sends young Irish siblings on magical adventures

• Article by: Kristin Tillotson, Star Tribune, January 22, 2015

REVIEW: A quieter kind of kids movie, Oscar-nominated “Song of the Sea” casts a delicate spell.

With most kid-targeted animation these days making full use of 3-D effects, CGI and other technology, the hand-drawn, 2-D “Song of the Sea” is a throwback — one well worth seeing on a big screen.

Saoirse is a 6-year-old Irish girl with a seriously mystical ability. She’s the last of the selkies, women who, according to Celtic legend, become seals in the water but can transform into humans on land. Her mother disappeared when she was an infant, leaving her lighthouse-keeper father (voiced by Brendan Gleeson) heartbroken and brother Ben, now 10, blaming his sister for Mummy’s flight.

Their grandmother (voiced by Fionnula Flanagan) takes them to live with her in the city, leaving behind Dad and beloved sheepdog Cú. Ben hatches a plan to get the siblings back to the lighthouse, setting off a chain of adventures — palling around with seals and fairies, escaping from evil pursuers including a scary owl witch. Along the way they learn to depend on and love each other.

Blending that magical something present in all the best illustrated children’s books with spellbinding music by composer Bruno Coulais and the Irish folk band Kila, the film is a sweetly rendered reminder that sometimes tradition can keep up with high-tech, given director and co-writer Tomm Moore’s imagination and his empath’s knack for tapping into the often-elusive world of children. Watercolor-effect backgrounds are like a soothing eyewash of a contrast to the sharply delineated frenzy of the average Pixar release, and an overall gentle sensibility is an antidote to ever-present snark.

Watch for this animated film coming to a theater near you soon.

(check the facebook list for theater showtimes being added)

A big thank you to the Cartoon Saloon!