Ondine

Alicja Bachleda and Colin Farrell in Ondine

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Wednesday, 03, Mar 2010 09:25

Directed by Neil Jordan, out now in cinemas, starring Colin Farrell, Alicja Bachleda, Dervla Kirwan, Tony Curran, Stephen Rea, running time 111 mins.

What's it all about?>

Farrell plays Syracuse, a gruff Irish fisherman and recovering alcoholic who, while out trawling, finds a beautiful young woman (Bachleda) in his net. He kindly lets her stay in his late mother's beach house while she recovers her memory and finds her legs (ahem), but is soon questioning her identity when his ailing young daughter suggests that she may be a fabled creature of the sea.

What the others say

"Funny, whimsical and as warming as a big bowl of Irish stew." - David Hughes, Empire

"A clunky third-act shift into thriller territory only makes Ondine more confused: ambitious and deeply felt, to be sure, but also winsome and wildly uneven." - Tom Huddleston, Time Out

So is it any good?

While visually gorgeous and charming in its tone, Ondine is ultimately a little shallow in its illumination and a tad awkward in its execution to be anything more than a sweet and enjoyable fairytale romance.

There's no doubt that this is a lovely story and it's refreshing to see some risks being taken by bringing to the screen such an unusual tale. Farrell plays the bewitched angler with such gentle melancholy and beautiful West Cork tones that it's clear he has taken great care in employing the role. It's almost possible to taste the sea air watching Wong Kar-Wai-collaborator Christopher Doyle's photography, the blues, greens and greys of the Irish coast jump right off the screen and illustrate the timeless folkloric beauty of the story perfectly.

However, weak aspects of the plot constantly threaten to overshadow the film's most promising quality; the dreamlike aspect so apparent in the first part of the film is all but lost when Ondine is seen and spoken of by the other occupants of the town. Had she been kept exclusively to Syracuse and his daughter for longer, the suspense would have been heightened and the romantic enigma a much more effective contrast to the contemporary worries that litter the characters' lives. I would have liked to have seen Ondine and Syracuse develop a little more of their relationship as well, there's no denying their on screen chemistry (Farrell and Bachleda became a couple while filming, too) but it seems a little too much time was devoted to showcasing her voluptuous form than their growing bond.

This is worth a watch though if only for the scenery and the gentle comedy between Farrell and his vicar and surrogate AA sponsor (Rea). And although it lacks the touching tragedy of Whistle Down the Wind, a modern day fairytale in a similar vain, it paints a lovely picture of two very different worlds colliding.

6/10

Lizzie Husher

This review was provided by www.screenjabber.com.