ViewGuide

Created Aug 19, 2010 10:03PM PST • Edited Jan 08, 2011 01:14PM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Great 4.0

   Irish blarney deepens into affecting contemporary drama in this seemingly magical sleeper. Colin Farrell gives one of his best performances as a hard luck fisherman who nets a beautiful woman, falls for her, and then is pressed into one tough decision after another.

   First he has to determine if she’s a Selkie, or Irish mermaid. Is she or isn’t she? She certainly acts like one, complete with magical song, odd language and spirit lifting manner.

   Master Irish filmmaker Neil Jordan’s movie keeps its secrets until the very end, by which time its spell has worked some very real cinematic magic.

4. Acting

   Very Good 3.5

   Colin Farrell’s relaxed performance in his native Ireland allows his quiet charisma to flow, anchoring the movie.

   Alicja Bachleda makes a beguiling debut as the woman-from-the-sea who brings him luck. Farrell and Bachleda met while making the movie and now are expecting a child together. That’s chemistry.

   Alison Barry delivers a great performance as a brave little girl fighting kidney failure, but never feeling sorry for herself.

5. Male Stars Great 4.0

6. Female Stars Very Good 3.5

7. Female Costars Great 4.0

8. Male Costars Good 3.0

10. Film

    Great 4.0

    The great Neil Jordan has written and directed another Irish classic with Ondine. Almost two decades after winning an Oscar for The Crying Game, he’s still got the gift of devilishly deceptive Irish filmmaking.

11. Direction Great 4.0

12. Play Great 4.0

    “Misery is easy. Happiness you have to work at.” Great line.

13. Music Great 4.0

14. Visuals Very Good 3.5
15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 2.1

17. Sex Titillating 1.7

18. Violence Fierce 2.3

19. Rudeness Salty 2.4

21. Reality

    Glib 1.4

22. Circumstantial Glib 2.0

23. Biological Glib 1.3

24. Physical Natural 1.0