Song of the Sea 2014

     A Selkie is a woman in Irish and Scottish legends that can transform from a seal into a woman.  Saoirse is a young girl and her mother Bronagh was a Selkie.  She has her father Conor and her older brother Ben but her mother left soon after she was born in October 1981.  Six years have gone by, Conor misses Bronagh very much, Ben blames Saoirse for Bronagh leaving.  Granny comes to pay a visit for Saoirse's birthday and she takes the children back to her home in the city.  Ben draws a map of how to get home and then their sheepdog Cu finds them.  Ben is sure he can find their way back home with the help of Cu.  Conor has kept Saoirse’s white sealskin coat and Saorise starts to become sick.  Ben learns that Saoirse needs her coat and she must sing the Song of the Sea or she will die.

     This film has beautiful animation and a wonderful story both for children and adults.  There is a calmness and quietness of the pacing that pulls you into everything.

93 min, Animation directed by Tomm Moore with the voices of David Rawle, Brendan Gleeson, Lisa Hannigan, Fionnula Flanagan, Lucy O’Connell, Jon Kenny, Pat Shortt, Colm O’Snodaigh, Liam Hourican.

Note:  Imdb 8.2 out of 10, 99% critic 92% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 4126.

Special Note:  Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 87^th Academy Awards of 2015.  The same company also made The Secret of the Kells of 2009.  The animation is carefully hand-drawn with spirals of color and pastern with wisps of details.