Ondine

Director: Neil Jordan

Cinematographer: Christopher Doyle
Tagline: The truth is not what you know. It's what you believe.

Release Date: 4 June 2010

Once upon a time, there was a fisherman, and he caught a woman in his nets, and it was a good day. So, begins ONDINE, Woman from the Sea,  a typical fairy tale type of love story which has a lyrical tone to it. The story is simple and romantic. The plot moves around Syracuse(Colin Farrell) an Irish Fisherman, Ondine(Alicja Bachleda)a beautiful and mysterious woman and Annie(Alison Barry) Syracuse’s daughter. The story describes the turn of events in Syracuse’s life after he finds Ondine.

Ondine starts with Syracuse fishing in the sea where he catches the beautiful Ondine in his net in an unconscious state. When Ondine comes to consciousness, the two have an instant connect. Ondine is a mysterious woman and is fearful of the world and hence Syracuse keeps her as a secret. Not for long, because his daughter Annie finds out about Ondine and believes her to be a mythological sea creature. Annie is dying of kidney failure and wishes that Ondine stay for sometime so that when she sheds her selkie skin, it would cure her off the kidney failure. Gradually a beautiful relationship develops between Ondine and Syracuse and Annie. Syracuse and Annie both happen to get that something more they need from life in Ondine. Syracuse happens to be a recovering alcoholic. Ondine stayed with Syracuse’s ex wife. Ondine would sing a siren song whenever in the sea with Syracuse for fishing and fill his net with lobsters, fishes in tremendous numbers. This was too much of good luck for even Syracuse to believe. But all is not rosy and you can never believe everything to be good all the time. Ondine’s  past of the sea kept pulling her back into it. There was some man who was menacing in the town, who used to keep an eye on Ondine and this would seem mysterious. The several questions that keep turning on in the minds of the audience along with Syracuse during all the happenings are Is Ondine really a selkie? Will she stay? Can her love be trusted? What is Ondine’s secret?Who is the menacing man moving around town and spying on her? Is he her Selkie husband who has come to take her away?

This movie is highly romantic, enchanting and nicely made. It talks of power in belief. It just takes belief for something to happen or something to go away from you. If your belief is strong things will happen else they would be shattered.

Neil Jordan has given some of the best movies which include High Spirits, Mona Lisa and several others. His movies move at an organized pace and are never too action oriented or fast paced. His characters are intense and keep us rooted to our seats. In Ondine also we can notice the same pace for which he is well known. All the performances in the movie are amazing and keeps you glued to the screen throughout. Some may feel it is a bit slow and should be a little fast paced but if you sit through you will realize that the movie is extraordinarily beautiful and pace does not matter then. Bachleda, Ondine, is obviously the star of the movie. Her performance is mind blowing and you wish she just does not move away from the screen.

If credit is given to the director, then credit should be given to one and all of the film including the writer and cinematographer. If one wishes to go back in the fairy tale world and wants to watch a beautiful dream without being disturbed then Ondine would be my suggestion. It is one dream without interruption and you would love this suggestion for sure. A thumbs up for Ondine. A must watch.