Once upon a time, there was a fisherman.

Ondine

I was really nervous I would miss Neil Jordan's latest in theaters. But thanks to the powers of On Demand and a night in with your roommate, I was able to see Ondine, a film about Syracuse (Colin Farrell) the fisherman and the mysterious woman he catches in his net, Ondine.

The film has a natural heart that some fairy tales create artificially. The love and respect Jordan has for the Irish countryside and fishing villages is strongly conveyed; lush, green landscapes, sweeping views of the Irish Sea, and the tightened shots inside the small, perhaps slightly claustrophobic town. Though the sky is gray, this landscape is not dull or dreary.

Adding to the film's heart are its two strongest performances; Colin Farrell and Alison Barry as Syracuse's young daughter, Annie. Farrell shows a sensitivity we rarely see from him. His performance is very subtle and sweet. His interactions with Barry are very natural. His smile speaks volumes. His interactions with Stephen Rea as a priest brought out a subtle humor in Ondine.

Alison Barry is utterly mesmerizing. Her imagination is as big as her heart. She's your typical wise beyond her years little girl, suffering from a devastating ailment (kidney failure). She creates a magical, special world, and the characters are lucky enough to live in it. Her performance reminds me of early Dakota Fanning, just now so "she's basically an adult and it's scary." Alicja Bachleda was also good as Ondine.

The film mixes fairy tale and reality seamlessly. The music, scored by Sigur Ros member Kjartan Sveinsson and featuring Sigur Ros songs is absolutely beautiful. The music is very dream-like, maybe something you'd hear in a fairytale. Ondine's twist is absolutely believable and does not take away from the rest of the movie.

My one complaint about Ondine is it's hard to understand the dialogue at times. The thick Irish accents and slang, and lots of quiet, close talking scenes makes it easy to miss words and phrases. But having to strain at times to understand dialogue is worth it. Ondine is a wonderful and poetic Irish fairy tale.

Devon Gummersall in My So-Called Life

I've been rewatching this '90s series, as it's available in it's entirety on Hulu. My So-Called Life is still good and has several good performances, but Devon Gummersall as nerdy Brian Krakow is by far the best. He perfectly captures the anguish of being a socially awkward teenage boy. The joy, pain, and fear in his eyes whenever he interacts with the girl of his dreams, his tendency to over-achieve, nervousness around almost anyone...spot on. His facial expressions and physicality are all amazing. You can't help but always feel for him, even when he does and says cruel things.

Netflix

The Road-Got bad reviews, still wanna see it.
Broken Embraces-Almodovar's latest.
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days-Netflix Instant. I think it won the Palme d'or at Cannes a few years ago.