Plot
A fisherman (Colin Farrell) finds a semi-naked stranger (Alicja Bachleda) in his net. Is she an immigrant, or is she something more magical?
Review
Neil Jordan spins a magical yarn for grown-ups, as trawlerman Syraceuse (Colin Farrell) fishes a semi-naked stranger (Alicja Bachleda) out of his net. Has he rescued a drowning immigrant? Or is she, as his daughter suspects, a selkie — a mythical sea creature able to assume human form?
Leagues away from the Hollywood gloss of Splash, Ondine is funny, whimsical and as warming as a big bowl of Irish stew. Farrell’s natural accent and roguish charm make for a winning performance, while Polish actress Bachleda is the most beautiful, beguiling newcomer since Nastassja Kinski — and a much better actress. She’s Farrell’s real-life squeeze, but even he couldn’t love her as much as Jordan’s camera.
Neil Jordan spins a magical yarn for grown-ups, as trawlerman Syraceuse (Colin Farrell) fishes a semi-naked stranger (Alicja Bachleda) out of his net. Has he rescued a drowning immigrant? Or is she, as his daughter suspects, a selkie — a mythical sea creature able to assume human form?
Leagues away from the Hollywood gloss of Splash, Ondine is funny, whimsical and as warming as a big bowl of Irish stew. Farrell’s natural accent and roguish charm make for a winning performance, while Polish actress Bachleda is the most beautiful, beguiling newcomer since Nastassja Kinski — and a much better actress. She’s Farrell’s real-life squeeze, but even he couldn’t love her as much as Jordan’s camera.
Verdict
Funny, whimsical and as warming as a big bowl of Irish stew
Funny, whimsical and as warming as a big bowl of Irish stew
| Cast Colin Farrell Alicja Bachleda Stephen Rea Tony Curran Tom Archdeacon. |
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| Directors Neil Jordan. |
On the coast of Cork, Syracuse is a fisherman, on the wagon, living alone. His precocious daughter, Annie, about 10, has failing kidneys. One day, a nearly-drowned young woman comes up in his net; she speaks oddly, calls herself Ondine, and wants no one to see her. He puts her up in an isolated cottage that was his mother's. Annie discovers Ondine's presence and believes she's a selkie, a mythical seal turned human while on land. If this is a fairy tale, is there a happily ever after, or do the realities of alcohol, illness, and worse intrude, including Syracuse's inveterate bad luck? As his priest tell him, misery's easy, it's happiness you have to work at.
Actually it was a little too twee. I wathced it all the way through. There were odd moments that I thought were interesting. The relationship of Syracuse with his Priest and his effort to stay off the booze. I think the relationship between those two was actually the best - quietly happening. The way the myth was intertwined with reality was cute. And of course all ends happily ever after.
I liked the music of Lisa Hannigan. Irish folk voice. And the minimalist music of Icelander Sigur Ros.
Overall I give it about a 3/5 absolute max. Howecver for a little while the little girl in me was swept along on the mythical world of selkies
Bliss
XX
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