Ondine

Ondine (2009)
Directed by Neil Jordan. Starring Collin Farrell.

This is an unusual film that deals with the relationship between myth and reality. It walks the line between viewing the world through the eyes of a child; and being unable to look away from the harsh violence that governs many adult lives. This is a film where the Irish accents run thick and the Celtic legends run deep.

Ondine tells the story of a fisherman who pulls a woman out of his net on a routine day. His daughter becomes convinced that the mysterious woman, who takes on the name Ondine, is a legendary selkie... a kind of shapeshifting mermaid. (Or, more specifically, a seal creature that can shed its skin and become human. Their stories are often romantic tragedies involving them coming to land and falling in love with a human. But, the mythology is more complex than this... as the name ondine also has some important implications. This is yet another water nymph creature who is -- you guessed it -- also involved in romantic literature and romantic tragedies). The film encourages, even builds this mythology, to the point where you believe it! I won't spoil the ending, but let's just say that it involves dragging this airy story back to the ground of reality.

I found this film particularly interesting because it shows that myths are not just stories of yore... Far from being relegated to damp forests with Greek maidens, legends still live and breathe in our modern-day lives. The film is extremely creative in dealing with how myths are created... In fact, Ondine creates its own mythology in a way, while dealing with existing classic myths. This movie creates its own world, even though it's meant to be set in present-day Ireland. It bears a dreamlike quality and floats along, but it bears its share of drama. The whole time you watch it, you feel as if you are in the rolling green hills and misty air of a small Irish coastal village.

Ondine is a different and refreshing take on the romantic drama film genre. It bears a distinctly Irish touch that I find rather beautiful. Though it stars the fairly famous Collin Farrell, it feels like a small film; something you might find tucked away on a dusty shelf -- like an old book of myths waiting to inspire awe.