The Secret of Kells (2009)
Voices of Evan McGuire, Brendan Gleeson, Christen Mooney, and Mick Lally. Directed by Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey. Written by Fabrice Ziolkowski.
“I have seen the book that turns darkness to light,” whispers a voice as The Secret of Kells opens. It’s a mysterious introduction to an eerie story about the origins of an awesome, beautiful book of the Gospels, illustrated (or “illuminated”) by the ninth century monks of the Abbey of Kells. The characters are people of faith, but they are worried about invasions by Vikings, so their Abbot is singularly focused on building a wall to protect his people and their holy work.
The artwork in this myth-like tale is gorgeous, bringing to life the creative spirit of the Book of Kells, and the movie is worth seeing just for that. Told from a young boy’s point of view, the story is decidedly targeted at children: simple and linear in plot, with just enough mystery and darkness to impart the highest-stakes feeling appropriate a book that turns darkness to light.
A couple more drafts of this script could have made it really something, if the writers had wished to make this also a story for grown-ups. Without proselytizing, the film doesn’t disguise the fact that it’s a story about a religious text, or that its characters have dedicated their lives to a religious cause. Here’s where some thoughtful, between-the-lines dialogue could have given grownup audiences more to chew on, particularly those with a casual interest in the book and its content. This is a selfish complaint, because I appreciate a recent wave of animated children’s movies that has made an effort to do something similar. As a movie for children, though, it’s more than adequate.
While the art is its greatest strength, the film’s animation is only fair to middling. One gets the sense that the budget was restrictive, especially compared to the ridiculous costs of films put out by Pixar and Disney. It’s possible that this was a conscious decision, a rougher animation employed to emulate the feeling of the turning of pages, for example, because when the motion needs more fluidity, as when the book’s beautiful illuminations come to life, it’s much more elegant.
Voice acting by most of the principal cast, especially Brendan Gleeson as the Abbot, is quite good, but the decision to cast a very young actor as the voice of the main character is a misstep. Very few young actors can deliver the dramatic nuance animated films require, so young Evan McGuire does about what you’d expect from a competent young actor: two or three notes that work okay, but very little in between.
Still, give it plus points for good music, great art, and subject matter that stretches far beyond the content of most children’s films. Younger viewers will appreciate a rebellious but serious-minded protagonist with a mysterious friendship and a misunderstanding father figure. Older viewers will love the art, which really is unlike anything I’ve seen in a movie. I kind of want to get several tattoos of scenes from the film.
7/10 (IMDb rating)
77/100 (Criticker rating)
The Secret of Kells (2009)
Voices of Evan McGuire, Brendan Gleeson, Christen Mooney, and Mick Lally. Directed by Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey. Written by Fabrice Ziolkowski.
“I have seen the book that turns darkness to light,” whispers a voice as The Secret of Kells opens. It’s a mysterious introduction to an eerie story about the origins of an awesome, beautiful book of the Gospels, illustrated (or “illuminated”) by the ninth century monks of the Abbey of Kells. The characters are people of faith, but they are worried about invasions by Vikings, so their Abbot is singularly focused on building a wall to protect his people and their holy work.
The artwork in this myth-like tale is gorgeous, bringing to life the creative spirit of the Book of Kells, and the movie is worth seeing just for that. Told from a young boy’s point of view, the story is decidedly targeted at children: simple and linear in plot, with just enough mystery and darkness to impart the highest-stakes feeling appropriate a book that turns darkness to light.
A couple more drafts of this script could have made it really something, if the writers had wished to make this also a story for grown-ups. Without proselytizing, the film doesn’t disguise the fact that it’s a story about a religious text, or that its characters have dedicated their lives to a religious cause. Here’s where some thoughtful, between-the-lines dialogue could have given grownup audiences more to chew on, particularly those with a casual interest in the book and its content. This is a selfish complaint, because I appreciate a recent wave of animated children’s movies that has made an effort to do something similar. As a movie for children, though, it’s more than adequate.
While the art is its greatest strength, the film’s animation is only fair to middling. One gets the sense that the budget was restrictive, especially compared to the ridiculous costs of films put out by Pixar and Disney. It’s possible that this was a conscious decision, a rougher animation employed to emulate the feeling of the turning of pages, for example, because when the motion needs more fluidity, as when the book’s beautiful illuminations come to life, it’s much more elegant.
Voice acting by most of the principal cast, especially Brendan Gleeson as the Abbot, is quite good, but the decision to cast a very young actor as the voice of the main character is a misstep. Very few young actors can deliver the dramatic nuance animated films require, so young Evan McGuire does about what you’d expect from a competent young actor: two or three notes that work okay, but very little in between.
Still, give it plus points for good music, great art, and subject matter that stretches far beyond the content of most children’s films. Younger viewers will appreciate a rebellious but serious-minded protagonist with a mysterious friendship and a misunderstanding father figure. Older viewers will love the art, which really is unlike anything I’ve seen in a movie. I kind of want to get several tattoos of scenes from the film.
7/10 (IMDb rating)
77/100 (Criticker rating)
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