Febiofest Junior review - SONG OF THE SEA by Tomm Moore

Following the success of Book of Kells, Tomm Moore returns with another wonderful work of hand drawn animation, quite venerable in every way. Song of the Sea was screened in the Febiofest Junior section of the 22nd Febiofest - Prague International Film Festival.

 

A young boy discovers his deaf mute sister is a mythological creature named "silke", who must find her voice and free supernatural creatures from the spell of a Celtic goddess. Tomm Moore once again openly refers to Celtic mythology for his storyline and his characters. However, the narrative arch of the journey undertaken by a young boy, his kid sister and their loyal and lovable dog conceals mystery and surprises that recall the surrealistic flirtations of Lewis Carroll's works. Furthermore, aside from the delightfully adventurous nature of the film which is constantly entertaining, the film impresses with its character depth, its witty sense of humour and its balanced use of melodrama - all of which bring in an impressive array of emotional baggage that can usually be identifiable with the best of Studio Ghibli productions.

 

Song of the Sea is indeed family film gold, but it is also a film that is not afraid to darken the mood and increase its psychological depth with some admirable irreverence. This might indeed prove a little too mature for a younger audience, but then again it might be a rediscovery of a type of audaciousness in the amination filmmaking form that is constantly all too innocent in a blatantly commercialised manner. Indeed, this also raises the point of the film working on parallel elements, some of which are perceived differently by an adult audience.

 

The style of the film is virtually flawless. Not only is the hand drawn animation technique great and unique. It is also full of colours and seems to refer to a symmetrical and often circular pattern that helps in making every single frame in the film feel like a work of art with rich watercolour textures that help set the film apart from the rest and greatly enhance its dream like appeal. As the title suggests, the extremely Irish sounding music also plays a specific role and is often presented as an active element in the storyline, rather than a pretty and petty surplus.

 

In the end, perhaps the most charming of all elements is the true intimacy of Song of the Sea. This is the story of a family, not the story of an impending end of the world, the type we are so used to seeing in blockbuster counterparts. The lack of grandeur in the intentions of the charcaters, despite their folkloristic inclinations, also seem to be a wonderful down to earth metaphor of real, normal, everyday life that can be universally understood and timelessly appreciated.