AFI Fest Review: Song of the Sea

This has been a great year for animation that delves into culture and folklore, providing a refreshing break from the generic studio output that usually finds animals going on action-packed adventures around the world.  Both The Book of Life and The Tale of Princess Kaguya found inspiration in specific traditions and stories of their filmmakers' native countries, and Song of the Sea continues the trend.

Reuniting much of the team that made The Secret of Kells a few years ago, Tomm Moore's Song of the Sea - like its spiritual predecessor - uses Irish folklore for inspiration.  Ben (David Rawle) lives with his father (Brendan Gleeson) and mute sister Saoirse on a remote island where they tend a lighthouse.  Their mother (Lisa Hannigan, who sings!) disappeared after Saoirse was born, leaving a hole in the family and plenty of stories about mystical beings, which continue to fascinate Ben.  When the children are carted off to live in the city with their ornery grandmother, and Saoirse's secret power is revealed, the adventure begins to bring harmony to nature and rescue the fairies who have been turned to stone by the owl witch.

If it sounds like a lot going on, it sort of is.  There's lots of foreign terminology and magical rules and rituals to keep track of, but the journey is simple, and the characters sweet.  Even if the big picture is somewhat blurry, and difficult to articulate, it's easy to know what the characters are after moment to moment.  At its core, Song of the Sea is a story of a boy missing his dog, a man missing his wife, and a world missing its soul.

Like a few other animated features in recent memory - WALL-E and The Lorax come to mind - Song of the Sea is environmentally minded.  The beauty of nature is tarnished by industrial invasion, such as the black cloud of grandma's car, or the noisy roundabout surrounding a fairy hideout in the city.  The message is clear, and worthwhile, but not heavy-handed.  My favorite bit: the telephone poles, symbols of civilaztion encroaching on nature, resemble the villainous owls who seek to bottle up feelings.

As was the case with The Secret of Kells, half the pleasure of watching Song of the Sea stems from the gorgeous animation, which looks like a coloring book sprung to life.  I will always champion hand-drawn animation, especially when it looks this lovely.  The characters feature strong lines and dense fills, so they pop against the rougher edges of their surroundings.  The adults are massive, almost mythological compared to Ben and Saoirse's diminutive statures, and particularly menacing in the case of the witch, who is reminiscent of the witch in Spirited Away.

The beautiful visuals and music, the culturally rich story, and the strong messages of environmental responsibility and the necessity of feeling (don't bottle up your emotions, the film says) make Song of the Sea an adventurous treat that little ones and adults can enjoy in equal measure.