Most of you will know the classic fairy tales. When you were a kids you heard the stories about Hansel and Gretel, little red riding hood and Snow White. These stories have been told for centuries, but despite their age they are still being told as they have some magical qualities and a deeper truth which will teach something to kids. The lessons learned are usually about the fear of something evil, which has to be defeated.
According to Wikipedia an ondine is a mythological water nymph and as it usually goes with people telling stories, they get changed and local elements are added to it. In the Irish version of the story the nymph is called a Selkies which you will see after a seal sheds of its skin to change into a human.
This movie has based its story on this fairy tale. Syracuse (Colin Farrell) is a fisherman who finds a woman in his net, Ondine (Alicja Bachleda). The woman is still alive and tells him that she wants no one to see her. Syracuse takes her to a deserted house where she’s able to stay. She joins him on some fishing trips and every time she sings a song he catches more fish than he ever does.
Syracuse is divorced and has a young daughter, Annie (Alison Barry), who’s in a wheelchair and regularly has to go to the hospital for dialysis. When she finally receives an electric wheelchair she gains a lot more freedom and go out on her own. She discovers the secret her father is keeping from her.
She start talking to Ondine and visits the local library where she discovers the story about the water nymph. It only makes her relationship with Ondine stronger. At the same time Cyracuse is enchanted by Ondine’s beauty and falls in love with her.
Ondine feels like a modern fairytale. Just like you wanted to believe in the stories you parents used to tell, you also want to do the same for the story this movie is telling. As a viewer you are dragged into the story and really hope that the right things happen for love to conquer everything and wishes to become reality. The modern setting, a small fishing town, and all the issues Cyracuse is having with his ex ground the whole movie in reality, which results in a nice mix of warm relationships in a cold, harsh environment. It’s a movie with a lot of fantasy, drama and romance.
Alicja Bachleda is a beautiful woman who only adds to the mystery that is Ondine. She plays it perfectly and I’m sure it will make many hearts beat a little faster. Farrell and Barry are also great and both show a great range of emotions.
Ondine feels like a small movie which I’m sure not a lot of people will have seen, but it’s worth throwing out your nets and catch this little pearl.
Score: 8
I think this is the worst film of 2009. Boring, uninteresting, dull. Colin Farrell looks like a bum. But Syracuse has good internal qualities. Bachleda – can not call her an actress. Lifeless, boring, ugly, gray mouse, can not to associate two words. Terrible actress. Best actor – Alison Berry. simply amazing girl. She has a great future as actrees
I obviously don’t agree, was really captivated by the film. The fact that Bachleda had this otherworldly look about her which only pulled me into the movie. It was also a great performance by Farrell.