Spotlight #19- the Song of the Sea

This is part two of my one-time two-parter for Cartoon Saloon, a spotlight on their most recent film and nominee for Best Picture of 2014, "the Song of the Sea". I was glad and, honestly, a little surprised that this made it for the nominations. I loved "Secret of Kells" and gave it my highest rating, but I wasn't sure that they could top themselves. Without seeing the movie, I gave my prediction to "How to Train your Dragon 2" and put that towards the top of my Top 7 list. It's still as fun as ever, but if I had seen "Song of the Sea" first, I may have put it higher up than that. In all honesty, this picture may be one of the closest things we'll see to a perfect movie.

The main character, a young boy named Ben, grew up on his mother's stories of the mystical world of fairies and witches, but she has long since disappeared. In her place, he has his sister Saoirse, whom he feels responsibility for, but is too easily prone to pick on. It's only after their distant father sends them to the city when he realizes that his sister is the legendary Selkie, a water spirit destined to sing the song of the sea and usher in the last great pilgrimage to the fairies' homeland. There is a problem though- Saoirse has been mute all her life, and the only way to bring her voice back requires a long journey across Ireland and all of the mystical beings who want to stop her. Ben must now brave monsters, witches, and his deepest fears to save his sister from turning to stone, along with the rest of the world of the mystic.

Early on, it's easy to draw parallels to "the Secret of Kells"; a rambunctious boy lead, a rocky relationship with the father-figure, a magical female side character, fantasy plot, and so on. However, it doesn't seem to lose any of its charm here. The 2D art style complements the story and its weight fantastically, The score hearkens back to Ireland's long history of mysticism and magic, and is absolutely heart-wrenching at times. Even better, without the restraints of historical fiction, the writers were able to take even bigger creative leaps with the story, helping it feel much bigger and bolder than "Kells", as well as more oriented. I suppose, then, too much of a good thing isn't really that bad.

Even more so, this is possibly one of the first times I have fallen in love with a story's female character. It sounds strange talking about six-year-old Saoirse, but she and her relation to Ben are definitely the most interesting facets of this film. As an older brother myself, I can relate to the boy's conflict between what he wants and what his sister needs, so it may just be my tastes. I will say, though, that the animators and writers play well off of the fact that she can't speak. Her scenes are directed so well that we can feel what she's thinking, while it's never obvious. Every little move she makes, every look, every step feels so monumental to the world around her. She's basically Caesar from "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes", but as a little girl who has drastically less control of her situation...

...Maybe I should work on my metaphors.

This film also greatly improves on the world-building aspect of "Kells". As mentioned earlier, the disconnect from history allowed the team more liberty to make choices that would better impact the story. The result is something that feels incredibly intricate, possibly the deepest and most imaginative since 2002's "Spirited Away". The further it went, the more convinced I was that the story existed in some tome from the 15th century or so, and I wanted desperately to find it and learn more about it- even if it was adapted to a more modern setting. It all passes like a true discovery, and it made me personally feel like I was discovering more about myself as I went through it. In that case, it accomplished more than most movies ever dream to do- it changed me and made me feel like a more complete person.

Once again, this is an incredibly mature film in the way that it told such a universal story with such respect and charm. I started out wanting to learn as much as I can, and the scale and power of the climax left me in tears. It felt so fresh in an age of sequels and adaptations, and there's still so much for everyone to enjoy. It' speaks not to the childish, but the child in us, keeping us on the edge of our seat, making us laugh, cry, and think longer than most other animated features have in a long time. I said that "Kells" was for those who want something artistic, but this here is more for those who are seeking the perfect film. Without a doubt, "Song of the Sea" will stand the tests of time as an example of how films should be made.

P.S., if you guys have any suggestions for a movie that deserves a higher-than-highest rating, let us know in the comments.

Copyrighted 2014 by Universal Distribution, no infringement intended.