Though this be a modern-day fairy tale, it hardly feels like one. The title character of this film—who goes by the name “Ondine” (a play on the water elemental of the same name in German folklore)—winds up tangled in the net of a fisherman (Farrell) and, as luck would have it, the two fall in love.
It sounds like the stuff of an olde sea shanty but the style and a couple of contrivances make it anything but. And where serendipity begins, confusion soon follows.
Nothing really ever seems to make much sense. Things seem to happen for no reason. What motivates the characters to take the risks they do are never revealed to us and by the time things start to steam up on-screen, off-screen we start to lose it.
But it’s not simply a matter of causality. There’s a feeling of magic but it ultimately rings hollow in key moments. So much so that even the themes of illusion and providence can’t fully cover this movie’s tracks, proving the old adage wrong in at least one case.
Hibernian helmer Neil Jordan’s foray into romance makes sense. Especially considering his typical fare. And doubtless there are numerous charms and hooks to nibble on, but generally the red herrings and ambiguity make the twist easy to spot (plus the “precocious child” gets more annoying as the movie progresses).
It’s a nice date movie but if you’re looking for something with a little more oomph in the honesty department I’d say keep your head above the water this time around.
One is tempted to see this as a ‘Little Mermaid’ story. But since Ondine (played by Polish unknown Alicja Bachelda) is not technically a mermaid in the strictest cryptozoological sense it’s hard to really classify where she belongs on the strange meter. The same could be said for the rest of the movie.
***
Written & Directed by:
Neil Jordan
Produced by:
Ben Browning
Ned Dowd..................executive producer
James Flynn
Neil Jordan
Michael Maher.............executive producer
Peter Rawlinson...........executive producer
Karen Richards............line producer
Cast:
Colin Farrell.............Syracuse
Alicja Bachleda...........Ondine
Dervla Kirwan.............Maura
Alison Barry..............Annie
Marion O'Dwyer............Nurse
Tony Curran...............Alex
Stephen Rea...............Priest
Norma Sheahan.............Librarian
Emil Hostina..............Vladic
Conor Power...............Eion
Olwyn Hanley..............Katie
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