Bingeflix - Ondine (2009)

I'm a big fan of magical realism. And not the mainstream, Liar, Liar kind, but the Local Hero, Chocolat and Purple Rose of Cairo variety. I love the notion of fantastical elements mingling with the nitty-gritty, but with hardly a wink or nod at their obvious absurdity. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a super great, and super recent example of this idea in full force.

If you haven't figured already, Ondine falls into this category. For the most part. It's about an Irish fisherman who catches a beautiful woman in his net, and proceeds to fall in love. I won't spoil things, except to say that if you're a fan of Icelandic alt-rock, then you may have a leg-up in the "didn't see that coming" department.

It's a fine movie. Great performances, especially from the little girl playing Colin Farrell's daughter, Annie. A sure-footed little actress, who is mighty fearless in her portrayal.

However, even at 90 minutes, it felt long, which is a gripe, but the movie quickly picked up again after it started to falter near the end of the second act, and it flies on through to the end.

I'm still unsure how I feel about the ending, but it makes sense. It works. It's just not the most exciting ending. It just kind of happens.

See it, if you're fan of magical realism, films based in Scottish myth (the myth of Selkies or mermaids plays a big part in this film) and/or films set in the lush gloom of Ireland. It reminded me a lot of Local Hero, which is one of my favorite films of all time, and the only film where I've been able to stomach Burt Lancaster.

Buy? - Nah. It's not for kids, and it is kind of a downer, so it's not something I'd come back to.

Side Note - This film was directed by Neil Jordan, who is arguably most famous for tricking millions of movie goers into seeing Jae Davidson's penis.

Up Next: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (1967)