The Secret of Roan Inish dvd movie.|
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List Price: $14.94 Our Price: $8.49 You Save: $6.45 Features • Anamorphic • Closed-captioned • Color • DVD-Video • Full Screen • Widescreen • NTSC In Theaters : 03 February, 1995 DVD Release : 25 July, 2000 |
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The Secret of Roan Inish description As one of the most respected American independent filmmakers, John Sayles has created a body of work as distinguished in its diversity as for its consistent quality and inspiring originality. He's never been one to march to the commercial beat, but chooses instead to follow his creative impulse wherever it leads him. The Secret of Roan Inish led Sayles to the beautiful and moody West Coast of Ireland; it is a tale of a girl who discovers that her family has been touched by myth and magic throughout the years. Following the death of her mother, young Fiona (Jeni Courtney) is sent to live with her grandparents on the Irish coast across from Roan Inish, the island where her family once lived. She's told stories about the selkies--seals that can turn into humans--who have been connected with Fiona's family over the ages. At first she's not sure if the selkies are real or mythological, but she later realizes that they hold the key to reclaiming her family heritage. What's remarkable about this film (which Sayles adapted from Rosalie Fry's novel Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry) is that it's not told as a cute fantasy for children, but as a straightforward, unsentimental story of a young girl's family history. That gives the film--which was beautifully photographed by master cinematographer Haskell Wexler--an understated charm that is completely absorbing in its atmosphere and subtle tone. There's magic as well, to be sure--you could almost swear that the seals and seagulls in the film took direction from Sayles as well as any human actor! --Jeff Shannon |
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| ♥♥♥♥♥ | A modern-day Celtic folktale lovingly brought to life |
| John Sayles's Secret of Roan Inish is based upon the short story [[ASIN:0786810637 The Secret of Roan Inish/Movie Tie-In]] by Rosalie K. Fry, which explored the Celtic legend of the selkie, seals that can turn into humans. Ten-year-old Fiona has been living in the city, but is sent to live with her grandparents on a remote island in Donegal, Ireland. She plunges into the mystery of the disappearance of her younger brother Jamie, and along the way meets her strange cousin Tadhg (John Lynch), who tells her the story of her selkie ancestor. Fiona is consumed with her quest to find her brother, whom she's seen swimming with the seals, and to convince her grandparents that she's telling the truth.
The cinematography of craggy Donegal is beautifully shot, bringing to life the small fishing community where Fiona's family lives. Flashbacks capably illustrate the unusual pedigree of Fiona's ancestors, and it's telling that child Fiona has no trouble in understanding Tadhg, while adults write him off as odd. There are excellent performances all around, including the perhaps-familiar-to-American-audiences brother-and-sister team of John and Susan Lynch ([[ASIN:6304698690 The Secret Garden]], [[ASIN:6305210411 Sliding Doors]], [[ASIN:B000ZOXDFA Elizabeth - The Golden Age (Widescreen Edition)]]) and Mick Lally ([[ASIN:6304884389 Circle of Friends]], [[ASIN:B0009PLLN6 Alexander - Director's Cut (Full Screen Edition)]]) as Fiona's grandfather. The film's soundtrack by Mason Daring also deserves special mention. A unique blend of haunting original score, Celtic jigs, and Irish-language vocals, it captures the maritime feel of rural Ireland as well as moves the movie along through some of the more haunting dream sequences. This is a gentle film that is slow to unfold, but one that is ultimately rewarding and perfect for family viewing. |
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