Touches You

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I was already aware of the work of the director of this film, Tomm Moore, when I saw his previous animated feature film The Secret of Kells (2009). That film like this one was very distinctive in that it was based around Irish folklore. It is highly encouraging to see a nation not really associated with much cinema output like Ireland start to release their own unique animated movies. As it turned out, both of these films got additional visibility by being nominated for Oscars at the Academy Awards, so it seems like the Irish have certainly hit on something here and I hope that more such features emerge from the Emerald Isle in the future.The Song of the Sea is another animated fantasy-adventure. It focuses on a boy and his little sister, the latter of which is a Seal child, also known as a Selkie. They live in a lighthouse on a small island with their dad, their mother having died while giving birth to the daughter. Despite being almost six years old, the little girl has never uttered a single word, alienating her from her brother. But soon the mysteries of her origins begin to emerge and strange events follow.Like Moore's last film this is another that has been made using traditional animation methods, i.e. its hand drawn. This pleases me a lot as this type of animation always seems to have more soul that CGI. The whole thing is awash with great Celtic art and it really feels like every frame is constructed with consummate care. The story tells of primal things like the call of the ocean and interweaves this with imaginative fantasy creations such as an Owl Witch. Although it has to be said that I thought some of its best and most atmospheric moments were during the domestic scenes such as the parts set in Dublin. Whatever the case, the beautiful art-work creates a feeling all of its own. I have to admit to not being entirely drawn in by the characters though, with the boy Ben being somewhat irritating to be quite honest. If I had made more of a connection with the characters then I would have rated this one higher no doubt. Nevertheless, this is a lovely piece of animation which climaxed with a sequence of extraordinary beauty when the little girl sings the 'Song to the Sea'. I have to admit it put a lump in my throat and was genuinely emotional and beautiful. This ending alone is worth watching the movie for. All-in-all, this has to go down as a creative triumph.

Whilst being aware of the latest CGI extravaganzas from the US,and the delicate beauty of Studio Ghibli,I started to hear about an animated title from Ireland,which appeared to have come completely from out of nowhere.Getting the very lucky opportunity to be the host of an event taking place on IMDb's Film Festivals board,I was thrilled to discover that film was one of the main festival viewings,which led to me getting ready to hear the sea sing.The plot:Living in a lighthouse,Ben,his dog Cú,his dad Conor and mum Bronagh welcome Saoirse into the family.One night, Bronagh tells the family that she loves them,and disappears into the ocean.Over the years Conor continues to mourn Bronagh's (presumed) death,as Saoirse goes mute and Ben blames her for the disappearance of their mum.On Saoirse's birthday Ben tells her a scary folk tale about an Owl Witch who take people's feelings and turns them into stone. Playing with a seashell Bronagh gave Ben, Saoirse finds a coat.Going to the ocean where her mum disappeared, Saoirse puts the coat on and transforms into a Selkie.View on the film:Proudly being a square peg that will never fit in a round hole,co- writer/(along with Will Collins) director Tomm Moore weaves a magical world with all of the characters and surroundings have pointed edges,which along with subtly expressing the rough edges of their lives,also give Ben and the family quirky designs which sharply capture the grief they have for Bronagh.Going under the sea, Moore splashes in waves of Psychedelic beauty. Produced between 4 animation studios across Europe, Moore blends the magnificent hand- drawn animation together seamlessly,with the collective approach bringing lush chalk coloured landscapes across the screen.Set on a canvas of Bruno Coulais rich score and Folk songs from Nolwenn Leroy and the band Kíla,the screenplay by Moore and Collins places the viewer in the midst of Saoirse and Ben's wonderment. Straying away from any needlessly dry exposition on the Folk legends,the writers instead present them as they are,which grip Saoirse and Ben's encounters with Færie's and Great Seanachaí's in an irresistible enchanting atmosphere. Breaking up the family in the opening scenes,the writers display extraordinary care in looking at the theme of parental loss,hitting the family hard,with Conor,Ben and Saoirse all in grief for Bronagh. Finely balancing the fantasy with the personal,the writers keep the fantastical discoveries Ben and Saoirse make be a part of their process with grief,as Conor,Ben and Saoirse hear Bronagh voice across the song of the sea.

I may have seen images of this Welsh cartoon at the time of its release, I knew it was likely to be something magical, it being well rated and recognised during awards season meant I had to watch it. Basically lighthouse keeper Conor (Brendan Gleeson) lives on an island with his son Ben (David Rawle), his wife Bronach (Lisa Hannigan) and sheepdog Cú, but things change when Bronach disappears, presumably dying after childbirth, leaving behind daughter Saoirse, and a seashell horn. Six years later, Conor is a broken man, and Ben is antagonistic towards his younger sister, he blames her for their mother leaving, she has not learned to speak, and Granny (Fionnula Flanagan), the grandmother, is visiting for Saoirse's birthday. At night, Saoirse plays the seashell horn, leading her to a white sealskin coat in Conor's closet, she wears the coat and walks towards the sea, there is a group of seals, revealing she is a selkie, a mythological creature who lives as a seal. She is found swimming by Granny, she insists the children are not being cared for properly and should be taken to the city, Ben protests, but Conor reluctantly agrees, and locks the coat in a chest, throwing it into the ocean. Saoirse plays the shell horn again on Halloween night, she and Ben attempt to run home, but the fairies who were alerted want to take Saoirse with them to Tír na nÓg ("Land of the Young"), but the fairies are turned to stone when attacked by the owls of Macha (Fionnula Flanagan), the sea deity. They catch up to Cú who followed them, but Saoirse is becoming ill, she falls into a sacred well, Ben follows and meets the Great Seanachaí (the storyteller/historian) (Jon Kenny), they learns that she was kidnapped by Macha, and she is mute because she needs to coat, or she will die. Ben learns that Bronach was a selkie herself, and remorsefully watched as she returned to the sea, he is given a hair that will lead them to Macha, who claims that her son Mac Lir (Brendan Gleeson) suffered a broken heart. Ben is able to rescue Saoirse and makes Macha realise that stealing feelings does not help, she flies them back home, where Conor finds them and takes Saoirse to hospital, at the same time the grandmother is trying to find them. Ben dives into the ocean to recover the coat, with the help of seals and Conor he finds it, Saoirse is made fully healthy and sings the song of the sea, the fairies rise, and Mac Lir, his dogs and Macha emerge and they head for Tír na nÓg. Bronach appears and prepares to depart with Saoirse, but she is half-human, so she departs instead with the coat, the fairies also say a tearful farewell, Ben and his family finally return home to their island, and Granny arrives, she decides the children can stay with their father, Ben and Soairse reconcile and become friends. Also starring Lucy O'Connell as Saoirse, Pat Shortt as Lug, Colm Ó'Snodaigh as Mossy and Liam Hourican as Spud / Bus Driver. Irish stars Gleeson and Flanagan do their voicing well, the story is based on a famous folklore tale, it was a little confusing at times, but generally it is a sweet tale of a boy learning to become a better brother to his fantastical sister, the animation is beautiful and the music score is haunting, it works well both as a fun adventure and a moving, heartbreaking exploration, a worthwhile animated animated fantasy drama. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year. Good!

A beautifully animated, tranquil experience. This film takes a concept and uses themes that I had no previous interest in and manages to thoroughly engage me and has enticed me to see more of its kind. The presentation of Irish and Scottish folklore is marvellous, alongside its magical score helped along with its selection of Celtic instruments. One personal liking of the film is the use of an Irish voice cast who all do a great job, it is a refreshing change from other animated movies opting for an American or Canadian cast whereas this movie greets me with something more familiar and what I can relate to more, not to mention it all adds to the overall atmosphere. The film is not without its flaws however. When I walked out of theatre evaluating the experience from a sum-total, I soon concluded that the story was generic. Visuals and music aside what you have is another film in which the plot is about returning the chosen one to restore peace to a world we've only just been introduced to... Sound familiar? When watching, this was not a problem as I was completely engaged, but should be a troubling factor when revisiting. If a less noticeable setup was used, this would be a movie I'd watch multiple times, the lore has the potential to be so much more... perhaps a masterpiece. What the film has provoked me to do is plan to watch anime films with a similar structure - creating a fantastic, magical adventure in a world ripe with cultural influence - such as the works of Hayao Miyazaki with his resume that include Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro and Castle in the Sky. Song of The Sea, a lovely tale that will enlighten your heart from start to finish, among the best animated films that have appeared recently, but is not as popular, so do please check it out.