Ondine **** (2009, Colin Farrell, Alicja Bachleda, Dervla Kirwan, Alison Barry, Stephen Rea) – Classic Movie Review 5527

Colin Farrell is exceptionally good – warm, appealing and surprisingly convincing as stout-hearted Irish fisherman Syracuse – in writer-director Neil Jordan’s 2009 Splash!-style movie.

It has more than a touch of the old Irish blarney to help it along – or hinder it, maybe, if you are not in the mood. Syracuse goes off fishing in his boat and scoops up a woman – Ondine (Polish actress Alicja Bachleda) – in his net.

He thinks that she is a mermaid, or some kind of sea creature – and of course he soon falls head over heels in love with her. This upsets the Cork locals a fair bit! That’s bad. Ondine sings and Syracuse has great catches of fish. That’s good. Is Ondine’s love for real – can Syracuse trust it? That’s a maybe.

It is a bit of a goofy, tall tale. But, never mind, it is very easy and delicious to swallow – and even really fall for if you are romantically inclined. After all the American movies he has made, it is great to have Farrell back with an Irish accent in a film again. And it is quite odd that it sounds odd and takes a wee while to get used to!

But speaking his native tongue has definitely inspired Farrell to a far, far better performance than we have seen from him of late. Alison Barry is also lovely as his sick little daughter Annie and Bachleda captures that other-worldly thing that the director was looking for when he cast her. Sweet.

Stephen Rea appears, as always in Jordan’s films, as the priest.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5527

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