Ondine
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Video Interview with Colin Farrell, Neil Jordan and Alicja Bachleda.![]()
Director: Neil Jordan
Starring: Colin Farrell, Stephen Rea, Tony Curran
Details: US/Ireland/104mins (12A)
Colin Farrell nails the Cork accent with admirable restraint, as his subtle performance continues his fine work in some offbeat choices. He seems to have left the blockbusters behind, instead concentrating on more intimate, character driven fare. Jordan's film may not quite be on par with its leading man's sombre performance, but it's still a beautiful looking production, with stellar supporting performances to boot.
Farrell is Syraceuse, a single father in a small town with no secrets. Working as a fisherman, he finds a beautiful woman in his net one day, and sensing she's in trouble, or perhaps wanting to believe that she's a mythical sea creature, he gives her shelter in his mother's old house outside of his town. He then tells his terminally ill young daughter stories of a mermaid found by a fisherman in his nets, and recounts the fledging romance of the woman he has found, as if it were a fairytale.
The tone here was always going to be extremely difficult to nail, but to Jordan's credit, for two thirds he does just that. The film only really suffers when its narrative needs to be expanded upon and loose ends tied up. It's not that he wrote himself into a corner, more that the real and fairytale world can only be blended for so long before a resolution must be found.
Alison Barry is another natural discovered by Jordan, while a stunning Alicja Bachleda has genuine presence as the woman caught in Farrell's net. Probably best suited to an early evening viewing, this will delight few, but should thoroughly engage most for the majority of its running time.
Review by Mike Sheridan
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