Ondine

I had the opportunity to view an advanced screening of this film, and off of name alone I was not too sure if it would be something that I would like. But, overall it was not too bad of a film.

In this enchanting fantasy Ondine, Syracuse (Colin Farrell) plays a simple fisherman who mysteriously catches a beautiful and enticing woman (Alicja Bachleda) in his trawler's nets. Upon first sight the woman appears to be dead, but then she comes alive right before Syracuse's eyes. With the help of his sickly yet witty and smart daughter, Annie (Alison Barry), he comes to believe that this fantasy of a woman, Ondine might be the manifestation of a myth come true.

When watching Ondine you kind of get the feeling that you are watching a modern and more drama filled version of Splash. You are trapped in another time... pure fantasy. The great thing and highlight of  this film is that successfully clouds the line between fantasy and reality until the audience doesn't  know where one ends and the other begins. At the core of it all, Ondine is essentially about relationships and finding that lost hope in seemingly desperate situations. By the end of the film, you have weakness to care for all the characters no matter what their circumstances.

On the downside of the film, the plot is a bit jumpy, sometimes making it hard to understand and follow along. There were moments that it dragged but overall a decent storyline. This is the type of movie that you go see on a lazy day off. Throughout the film we get to laugh, cry, and contemplate what we might do differently with our lives.

All in all, you can't help but deny this film's story of hope, love and belief is quite tender and optimistic.

After doing some research I would come across this theory...Advanced by Paracelsus, an Undine (ondine) is a water nymph or water spirit, the elemental of water. They are usually found in forest pools and waterfalls. They have beautiful voices, which are sometimes heard over the sound of water. According to some legends, undines (ondines) cannot get a soul unless they marry a man and bear him a child. This aspect has led them to be a popular motif in romantic and tragic literature.

Trust me when I tell you this, after watching the film you almost might believe you're in fairy tale or at least believe in them...

Grade: 2.5 stars out of 4