This is my first time to seriously review a movie and I must admit I'm quite nervous about it.
Alright! Let's get started!
[S T O R Y]
here, have a trailer.
[C H A R A C T E R S]
The characters were all brilliantly portrayed and written, each having their very own story to tell, from the rather grumpy and stern grandmother to the ever loyal Cu (the dog).
This is one of those movies where you can't really seem to bring yourself to hate or dislike a character, all of them being lovable in their very own ways. Despite the seemingly ill intentions of the main antagonist, you will find yourself warming up to them in the end pretty much wishing that everyone just ends up happy and content and that none of these precious babies have to hurt anymore. (At this point, dear readers, you can easily tell that I have become emotionally attached to the characters..)
This is one of those movies where you can't really seem to bring yourself to hate or dislike a character, all of them being lovable in their very own ways. Despite the seemingly ill intentions of the main antagonist, you will find yourself warming up to them in the end pretty much wishing that everyone just ends up happy and content and that none of these precious babies have to hurt anymore. (At this point, dear readers, you can easily tell that I have become emotionally attached to the characters..)
I'd like to focus on Saoirse who, despite not having any speaking lines for about 90% of the film, makes a great impact and actually proves herself to be a very strong character (even at the tender age of 6.) Goes on to show that big things may sometimes come in tiny packages!
[M U S I C]
Oh dear God, YES! I was so excited to get to this part of the review since as I type, dear readers, the Soundtrack for Song of the Sea is playing on repeat.
The film had a good amount of music, staying true to it's Celtic roots. It managed to successfully set the mood of the scene, adding to the emotion of it. It also had a whimsical feeling to it, perfect for a film based on fairy tales and fantasy.
The movie's 'main song' (which I will link over here, for the English version and here, for the Irish version) has given me a serious case of Last Song Syndrome but I'm not even mad! It's calm and sweet and helps in portraying the soothing and gentle nature of the main characters' mother, Bronagh.
The film had a good amount of music, staying true to it's Celtic roots. It managed to successfully set the mood of the scene, adding to the emotion of it. It also had a whimsical feeling to it, perfect for a film based on fairy tales and fantasy.
The movie's 'main song' (which I will link over here, for the English version and here, for the Irish version) has given me a serious case of Last Song Syndrome but I'm not even mad! It's calm and sweet and helps in portraying the soothing and gentle nature of the main characters' mother, Bronagh.
Long story short, Song of the Sea has an amazing soundtrack and is definitely one of the things that makes the movie great!
[A R T]
Admittedly another part of the review that I was so excited to get to!
I could, quite honestly, post more pictures than this, filling up the rest of this review with just screenshots I happily took while watching the movie again, but let's keep it at 5 pictures.
The art used in this film was simple, not too much details unlike other animated films but despite that, it added to the appeal of the film and actually worked wonderfully for it too! The character designs weren't complicated but were distinct enough that you'd be able to tell who a character was just by their silhouette.
I loved that they took into consideration the genes of the parents when designing Ben and Saoirse! Ben looks like his father, but had the nose of his mother (as shown on the last picture where you can see that Conor has a hooked nose as compared to Bronagh's more slender and pointed one.) Both kids also had the more rounded face of their mother as compared to their father's more angular features. A lot of times, characters in animated films suffer from a thing called "same-face syndrome" but Song of the Sea managed to make each character uniquely different while keeping in mind the connections between them.
Another thing that is absolutely beautiful about the art is that there was a clear difference between what is a memory and what is the present. As seen on the 2nd and 4th pictures that I posted above, there is a rather sketchy and soft feel to the art whereas the 1st, 3rd, and 5th are more smooth. Just from that alone, the viewer will be able to tell if a scene is taking place in the past and the present! Normally, flashbacks or memories tend to just have a different colour, usually sepia or black and white so I'm definitely pleased that they didn't go with that for this film.
Last thing I want to talk about in regards to the art of Song of the Sea: the backgrounds I'm an artist too, and I will say that drawing backgrounds is not a walking in the park. It's tedious and tiring, sometimes making you wish you didn't have to draw them at all. Which is why I am completely floored at how lovely the backgrounds of the film look! The amount of details they put into the work is amazing and, to be honest, it's the kind of piece that makes me sigh and wish I was there to see it in real life. The colours they used for each background and piece helped with setting the mood as well, and the pieces are pretty much just very soothing to look at. (perfect example would be the 4th picture which comes from the opening credits bit of the film.)
Great art for a great film!
The animation of the film was pretty much flawless, save for the last part of the film wherein the Shee were headed home, the floating was a little choppy but aside from that everything was perfect!
As a huge fan of Disney animator Glen Keane, I tend to focus on the animation of the hair of the characters (as it's something I'm having difficulty with) and I will say this now, Song of the Sea did not disappoint. There were a number of scenes where the wind just blew against the hair of the characters and it was so smooth and hypnotising, making me wish my hair looked like that when the wind was blowing it aside from the huge mess it normally is.
Until next time~
Matty.
I could, quite honestly, post more pictures than this, filling up the rest of this review with just screenshots I happily took while watching the movie again, but let's keep it at 5 pictures.
The art used in this film was simple, not too much details unlike other animated films but despite that, it added to the appeal of the film and actually worked wonderfully for it too! The character designs weren't complicated but were distinct enough that you'd be able to tell who a character was just by their silhouette.
I loved that they took into consideration the genes of the parents when designing Ben and Saoirse! Ben looks like his father, but had the nose of his mother (as shown on the last picture where you can see that Conor has a hooked nose as compared to Bronagh's more slender and pointed one.) Both kids also had the more rounded face of their mother as compared to their father's more angular features. A lot of times, characters in animated films suffer from a thing called "same-face syndrome" but Song of the Sea managed to make each character uniquely different while keeping in mind the connections between them.
Another thing that is absolutely beautiful about the art is that there was a clear difference between what is a memory and what is the present. As seen on the 2nd and 4th pictures that I posted above, there is a rather sketchy and soft feel to the art whereas the 1st, 3rd, and 5th are more smooth. Just from that alone, the viewer will be able to tell if a scene is taking place in the past and the present! Normally, flashbacks or memories tend to just have a different colour, usually sepia or black and white so I'm definitely pleased that they didn't go with that for this film.
Last thing I want to talk about in regards to the art of Song of the Sea: the backgrounds I'm an artist too, and I will say that drawing backgrounds is not a walking in the park. It's tedious and tiring, sometimes making you wish you didn't have to draw them at all. Which is why I am completely floored at how lovely the backgrounds of the film look! The amount of details they put into the work is amazing and, to be honest, it's the kind of piece that makes me sigh and wish I was there to see it in real life. The colours they used for each background and piece helped with setting the mood as well, and the pieces are pretty much just very soothing to look at. (perfect example would be the 4th picture which comes from the opening credits bit of the film.)
Great art for a great film!
[A N I M A T I O N]
As a future animator I feel that it is of utmost importance that I comment on the animation of the film, especially since after all the lessons I've had in school, I can spot if something is off beat or choppy.
The animation of the film was pretty much flawless, save for the last part of the film wherein the Shee were headed home, the floating was a little choppy but aside from that everything was perfect!
As a huge fan of Disney animator Glen Keane, I tend to focus on the animation of the hair of the characters (as it's something I'm having difficulty with) and I will say this now, Song of the Sea did not disappoint. There were a number of scenes where the wind just blew against the hair of the characters and it was so smooth and hypnotising, making me wish my hair looked like that when the wind was blowing it aside from the huge mess it normally is.
[S U M M A R Y]
All in all, I will say that Song of the Sea is an amazing film and is definitely something that deserves to be called timeless! I'm happy to say that it was nominated for an Oscar and although it did not win, definitely deserved it.
To all of you who haven't watched the film I urge you to do so, in that way you'll be able to see just why I am so in love with the film. It may not exactly be something you'll like right away, but who knows, it might just change your mind!
Until next time~
Matty.
SHE LIVES!!! Lol at first I thought this was another Studio Ghibli film but nonetheless, your review makes me want to see it! well other than that, I like the art. it looks adorable.
ReplyDeleteINDEED I DO! I've been gone for so long I feel bad, but it was great coming back with a review for a good movie.
DeleteThe art really is adorable! It's a style I have to admit I'm getting addicted to! :)) I hope you get to watch it soon, Tama-chan! ; v ; <33