Review of Song of the Sea (2014) by Freeson W — 13 Nov 2014

Beautiful. I saw this film during a lunchtime screening at work and this film *decimated* me. I was a complete mess, just sobbing and bawling at the end of it. "Song of the Sea" is an amazing film, and it was an absolute privilege to watch it. The story, though simple and elegant, is carried by the characters who have a truth and authenticity to them. The setting and the art draw you in further. I just can't find fault with it at all. The brother and sister relationship absolutely resonated with me since I have a little sister. However, the relationships between the children and the parents also really hit me as well. I won't give too much away, but the way the film deals with loss is very genuine.

In contrast to the offerings by big American studios - *cough* Frozen, Monsters University *cough* - this tugged at my heartstrings, but I did not feel manipulated. That is the key to good storytelling. Nothing in the story felt calculated. I couldn't distinguish the three act structure. There was no clear "all-is-lost" moment. No third act betrayal. It just felt organic, not formulaic. I didn't know what was going to happen next. In that aspect, it had a Ghibli like quality to it.

Though I haven't seen "The Book of Life" or "Big Hero 6", between "The Lego Movie", "How to Train Your Dragon 2", and "The Boxtrolls", I think "Song of the Sea" truly deserves to win Best Animated. I expect "Big Hero 6" to be a fun, but formulaic romp. I guess the only factor is "The Book of Life", which I have heard great things about, but I'd be very surprised if it's better than this.