Song of the Sea

Filmmaker Tomm Moore's Oscar-nominated Song of the Sea casts an enchanting spell, serving up a lovely hand-drawn rejoinder to the recent overwhelming trend toward CGI-animated movies. Drawing on Celtic myth, the story centers on 10-year-old Ben (voiced by David Rawle)—son of a lighthouse keeper (Brendan Gleeson)—who blames his still-speechless 6-year-old sister, Saoirse, for the death of their mother, after the latter disappeared into the ocean just as she was giving birth. Taken by their grandmother to live in the city, the children attempt to return home, an odyssey that results in encounters with magical beings, including fairies who recognize Saoirse as a selkie, i.e., a creature who lives as a seal in the sea but is transformed into a human on land. Saoirse may turn out to be instrumental in liberating fairies who have been turned to stone by an evil witch—a destiny that Ben must help his sister fulfill. Boasting beautiful imagery, accompanied by a lovely Celtic-inspired music score, this wondrous family film is highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Tomm Moore, animation tests (8 min.), “The Art” production segment (7 min.), a behind-the-scenes featurette (3 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an excellent animated film.] (F. Swietek)