Review of Ondine (2010) by Jeremy R — 07 Jul 2010

Ondine is a unique and special movie set in small town Co. Cork, featuring Colin Farrell as a fisherman down on his luck who one day finds a girl in his fishing net. The girl in question is Alicja Bachleda, who is his partner in real life, after meeting on the set of this movie. Ondine is written by Neil Jordan, so naturally it has an impressive cast. Farrell plays Syracuse, nicknamed 'Circus' by the locals due to his less than desirable past behaviour, as we learn that he was a heavy drinker along with his wife Maura, played by Dervla Kirwan. They have a very sick daughter, Annie, who is precocious and wise beyond her years. Syracuse gives up the drink, causing his wife to kick him out and shack up with Scottish Alex, who serves as a worthy contender in her drinking habits. Annie lives with her mother and Alex, despite their lifestyle, something Syracuse blames on the Irish social system.

Upon finding the beautiful, mysterious girl in his net, he pulls her out to discover she's still alive. He gives her mouth to mouth and miraculously, brings her back to life. The girl appears frightened and erratic, insisting she doesn't need a doctor, and refuses to be seen by anyone but Syracuse. She can't remember who she is, or where she came from. She names herself 'Ondine,' the French for wave.

Syracuse collects his daughter to bring her for dialysis (she has kidney failure) and tells her the story in the style of a fairytale. Annie believes the girl to be a mythical sea creature, and probes her father further about her. Syracuse visits Ondine regularly and she goes out on the boat with him, singing into the sea, with surprising results. She brings him luck in the form of lobster, and salmon, making him wonder if she really is a creature of the sea.

The setting for this fantasy movie is a lush, green landscape of rolling hills, with secret streams and glorious views of the peninsula. The town shown will do nothing to correct the Oirish stereotype, but it works within the context of the film. It needs to be set in a small town as Ondine sparks the imagination of its residents. Stephen Rea makes a welcome appearance as the parish priest, a confidante of Syracuse, and probably the only resident to acknowledge a change in him since he stopped drinking. Syracuse is a sympathetic character, often ridiculed by the uninviting Maura, and treated as a sort of village idiot by his neighbours, so you will find yourself rooting for him. Farrell's west Cork accent is flawless, and his chemistry with Bachleda is palpable.

The character of Annie will tug at your heart strings, as she copes with being a sick wheelchair-bound child at school among her peers, and then forced to grow up before her time at home. She has an exceptional mind for a child so young, and maintains determined throughout the movie despite her less than ideal circumstances. She bonds with Ondine instantly and, having researched mythological sea creatures and decided that Ondine is a selkie, informs her of the measures she must take in order to stay on land.

I won't ruin the ending for you, but as the plot gradually reveals itself, it does feel a bit hastened, compared to the relaxed speed of the rest of the movie. It really does pick up the pace towards the end, perhaps spoiling it a bit.

Overall I found Ondine to be thoughtful, fantastical and romantic, with a few dramatic scenes that will keep you enticed. Using Irish mythology as the theme of a movie could have been a disaster; luckily Jordan balances it with enough realism to make it alluring viewing. I would recommend this film to anyone in the mood for some fantasy escapism, although even cynics will warm to the storyline. It's been successful over here and has just been released in the US, where I suspect this moving film will become a sleeper hit.