The Secret of Kells reviews
Review by on 28 Sep 2010
THE SECRET OF KELLS, beaten to the mark for the best animation award at this year’s Oscars by the 3D Blockbuster phenomenon AVATAR, has not been given the appreciation or recognition it deserves. Drawing heavily on Irish mythology, the film's main attraction is the wonder it invokes with its incredible “back to basics” masterpiece animation, and the surprisingly involving storyline for a children’s film. Even for adults, this film stimulates the imagination and succeeds in thrilling, moving, chilling and invigorating. The animation itself takes cues from a combination of Irish monk art, childlike yet complex depictions of the natural world and hefty amounts of Japanese Animé, becoming just as much a piece of art as a cinematic storytelling device, far superior in my opinion to the dazzling (yet sometimes gimmicky) photorealism of AVATAR. The Musical score for the film, written by Bruno Colais, is spectacular, capturing the essence of Irish forests and ancient catholic abbeys in the same way the art does, complementing it and being complemented itself in return. The Storyline is very original, especially for the target age group, adding panache and sheen to an already gripping piece of cinema. The Film is also voice acted pristinely down to the last syllable. Arguably unlike AVATAR, this film is a gem that is polished in every area, combining amazing visuals with solid storyline and original score, enthralling for all ages.
Max Elgar
Max Elgar
Review by on 28 Sep 2010
Part of the 1st Family Film Festival, THE SECRET OF KELLS is an inventive animated film drawing on the Celtic folklore surrounding the production of the famous Book of Kells. The story follows the young Brendan, walled inside the closed community of Kells by his uncle, the Abbot, who is obsessed with defending against the threat of the Viking raiders. When Brother Aidan, a famed manuscript illuminator from Iona, arrives he opens up a new pathway in Brendan’s mind at the end of which lies the desire to leave the cloistered community and expand his experience in the outside world, spreading the word of God through art.
The filmmakers should be congratulated for the audacity of their project; the film assumes a high level of understanding in its youthful audience and is duly rewarded for its ambition. Both children and parents alike, fidgety and impatient before the film began, were mesmerised by the vividly expressionistic animation and the complex plot. It would not be going too far to draw thematic and stylistic comparisons with ANDREI RUBLËV – both in its exploration of religious artistic devotion and in the Viking attack on Kells, which undoubtedly has an antecedent in the Tartar raid from Tarkovsky’s masterpiece. Comparisons like this are only fitting for a film aimed at children with such a rare expansive approach and requited trust in the cinematic capacity of its audience. THE SECRET OF KELLS provides a wonderful model for bringing the cinematic experience for both parents and their children closer together.
Chris Stefanowicz
The filmmakers should be congratulated for the audacity of their project; the film assumes a high level of understanding in its youthful audience and is duly rewarded for its ambition. Both children and parents alike, fidgety and impatient before the film began, were mesmerised by the vividly expressionistic animation and the complex plot. It would not be going too far to draw thematic and stylistic comparisons with ANDREI RUBLËV – both in its exploration of religious artistic devotion and in the Viking attack on Kells, which undoubtedly has an antecedent in the Tartar raid from Tarkovsky’s masterpiece. Comparisons like this are only fitting for a film aimed at children with such a rare expansive approach and requited trust in the cinematic capacity of its audience. THE SECRET OF KELLS provides a wonderful model for bringing the cinematic experience for both parents and their children closer together.
Chris Stefanowicz
Film details
The Secret of Kells
CAMBRIDGE FAMILY FILM FESTIVAL
Director: Tomm Moore
Director: Nora Twomey
Director: Nora Twomey
Belgium, 2009.
79 mins. English
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