By: debbie lynn elias
Selkies are mythological creatures long celebrated by Irish, Scottish and Icelandic folklore and legend. Able to become human by removing their seal coat skins, they can return to seal form by putting the skins back on. Legend has written the most beautifully heartbreaking stories about the Selkies, the purity of their love and the romantic tragedy that befalls they and their loved ones, for unless the beloved human can find and steal the Selkie’s skin and either hide it or burn it, the Selkie must return to the sea, waiting seven years before having contact with the human again. And while this may be lore to many, writer/director Neil Jordan weaves a magical spell with a silken hand, bringing this fairy tale to life in the charming form of ONDINE.
Irish fisherman Syracuse, a recovering alcoholic trying hard to live down his nickname of Circus, thanks to his one-time alcohol induced antics, is a quiet man; a man with pride; a man with heart; a man who no matter how hard he tries always seems to be down on his luck. The one joy in his life, however, is his 10 year old daughter, Annie. Often confined to a wheelchair, Annie suffers from kidney failure and is forced to undergo dialysis every week. But despite this malady, Annie is the apple of her father’s eye. Plucky and precocious with indomitable spirit, Annie is wise beyond her years with a faith in the magic of life and her father that is almost infectious.
Out for his usual run on his boat the Lucky D, with an anticipated catch of minimal to none, imagine Syracuse’s surprise when he finds a beautiful woman entangled in his fishing nets. Clearly not a mermaid, Syracuse is enthralled, discombobulated and confused by the discovery. Seeing that the woman is clearly in distress having been near death in the cold Irish waters, Syracuse wants to get her to a doctor, but the beauteous creature wants none, appearing fearful at the very thought. Drawn to her and her predicament, Syracuse brings the young maiden to a cabin once owned by his mother on a hidden cove, intent on making her feel comfortable and safe.
Leaving Ondine, as she is called, to recover, Syracuse rushes off to take Annie to her weekly dialysis appointment. Now living with her mother, an alcoholic, and her somewhat rough and tumble boyfriend, Alex, the joy shared by Syracuse and Annie at seeing each other is overwhelming. As part of their father-daughter routine, Syracuse must regale Annie with a story of their way home from the clinic. Unfortunately, today his story is rather lame, leading Annie to reimagine the story as one with Selkie who jumps into the nets and comes to live as a human.
More than smitten with Ondine, Syracuse brings her gifts and buys her clothes while she, in return, accompanies him on his daily fishing trips, serenading him with an almost heavenly voice. Amazingly, with Ondine along, each catch proves to be more bountiful than the last. Has Syracuse’s luck indeed changed?
Meanwhile, Annie has become suspect of Ondine and believing her to be a real Selkie, begins to see Selkie legend in everything that happens, a fantasy in which Ondine happily engages, going so far as to help Annie hide and bury her “seal coat” found in the water to insure that Ondine remain with Annie and Syracuse forever. But as with all Selkie stories, is there really a happy forever after?
As I have said before, I was never a huge Colin Farrell until “In Bruges”. Just when I thought he had reeled me in hook, line and sinker, he then casts an even bigger spell with his performances in “Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” and “Crazy Heart.” Adding to my admiration for his talent as an actor is my admiration for him as a devoted father with a child suffering with Angelman Syndrome, which explained the tenderness I have seen in him when he is approached by a child or the pride when marching with Special Olympians. But now, Farrell brings actor, father, man and sex symbol full circle, seamlessly blending all into one magical performance as Syracuse. He is absolutely amazing. With a tender shyness and gentility that touches the heart, love and decency and kindness radiate from him, illuminating the screen with a basic purity that is almost ethereal. He is a joy to watch. And then pair him up with the young Alison Barry’s Annie – pure magic.
Polish actress Alicja Bachleda brings her own magic to the film as ONDINE. Beautiful, with an almost unidentifiable accent that adds to the mystery of the character and the mystical tales of Selkies, she has a lightness and charm that brings ONDINE to life. It’s no wonder that she and Farrell are now real-life partners. The real casting coup though is Alison Barry. An unknown from Cork County, Ireland, Barry is another Dakota Fanning. Bringing attitude and character to Annie, she is a joy to watch. And again, in her scenes with Farrell, you believe they are father and daughter. Toss in Bachleda and the scene is a picture-perfect happily ever after.
Writer/director Neil Jordan, who began his career with another fairy-tale of sorts, “The Company of Wolves”, proves that he hasn’t lost his magic touch. ONDINE is beyond charming. There is a preciousness to the story and the characters that steals your heart from the outset. Whimsical and romantic, Jordan weaves a spell around even the coldest of hearts. Although calling on some tried and true fairy tale cliches throughout the story, neither the story nor the individual characters ever feels cliched, nor does it lose any of its enchantment, retaining a simplicity of the heart. With a well-balanced blend of reality and fantasy (although I would have liked a little less reality in the last 15 minutes or so), twists and turns with unexpected entanglements amidst the magic, Jordan keep you on your toes like a child waiting for you to turn the next page in a storybook, anxious to see what comes next.
Jordan excels at perfecting visual detail to convey the spoken and unspoken word. Shot on location in Castletownbere, Ireland, where he resides, the script is true to the town and its people, both serving as an integral part of the magical tapestry. One of Jordan’s key selling points to producers and financiers was that “he had written the script in order that for it to be shot within five kilometers of his house in any direction.” Two of the shooting difficulties with ONDINE, however, lie with the summer of 2008, described as the wettest Irish summer on record, and the constantly changing tides of the Irish Sea. Surprisingly, only one day of shooting was lost due to the weather. Frigid temperatures, winds and rain made for difficult conditions not only for the crew, but for Alicja Bachleda who, despite having a stunt double for the more difficult water scenes, spent quite a bit of time not only in the water, but under the water. Toss in a spectacular car crash and frightening edge-of-your-seat wheelchair stunt that build to the film’s climatic ending and you’ve got something for everyone.
As comes as no surprise, cinematographer Christopher Doyle does it again with gorgeous visuals that only serve to escalate the enchantment of ONDINE. Celebrating the quaintness and beauty of the land and the calm and fury of the sea, each frame is perfect. Punctuating the beauty and enchantment of ONDINE is an original score by Kjartan Sveinsson.
Sweet, charming, magical, let yourself fall under the spell of ONDINE.
Syracuse – Colin Farrell
Ondine – Alicja Bachleda
Annie – Alison Barry
Written and directed by Neil Jordan.
