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movie review - Song of the Sea

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

This is an animated story of a young boy who lives on a lighthouse with her father and little sister. The kids' mother is lost to them, but the boy is convinced she was a selkie - a magical seal-like creature who might take up with a human for a time but must ultimately return to the sea. The little sister falls ill and the boy decides he's going to contact the fae folk about a cure. What follows is a lengthy quest that takes the lad through a variety of scenarios and ultimately to a showdown with a witch-goddess.

While beautifully made I found this thing curiously awkward at times and generally lacking in spark. We spend far too much time meeting the various mythological creatures along with the lad instead of interacting with them and getting the story movie. By counterpoint, I'm reminded of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, in which London's other underground is brought to life through direct and important interactions without a spare word of explanation. The memorable heavies in that thing and their dry humor are something we can instantly recall. The point of the thing(s) with the long beard(s) in Song of the Sea remains a mystery to me.

Another problem is the handling of the father's grief. We're supposed to believe that he's setting aside the reality that his wife was a selkie and he's also unwilling to understand that his daughter is one, too? Is it grief of psychosis.

Not recommended.