Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Ondine (2009)

In need of a reason to see Colin Farrell as a sexy, salty seaman?  Or maybe a modern day Irish fairytale complete with a little magic, a lot of whisky, and an uncertain ending?  Give yourself a couple of hours on the sea to witness Ondine.

So much of the magic in this movie is wrapped around the daughter of Syracuse (Farrell) named Annie (Alison Barry).  This tenacious little girl is determined to dream big and live well in spite of her failing kidneys and rounds of dialysis.  When her father tells her the story of the woman rescued from the sea by a fisherman's net, Annie begins to study the characteristics of the mythological Selkie - seven tears and a buried seal coat will allow her father's new love, Ondine, to remain on land for seven years... unless her Selkie husband comes for her.

How could two beautiful, broken, sensitive people NOT fall in love when receiving such encouragement from the little girl who loves them both?  Of course, their seperate and painful pasts could get in the way, but with so much sea and sky that's highly unlikely.

The Joneses (2009)

It's a dangerous business trying to keep up with the family next door, especially when that family is all looks and no substance.  When Steve, Kate, Jenn, and Mick Jones move in, it's hard not to notice or to not want what they have.  Their home is stocked with the latest and greatest from decor to cell phones, from cars to jewelry.  "Why did Steve buy you that necklace, Kate?  What's the occasion?"  "Well, it's Tuesday."

Tuesday is a way better reason to give a gift than Valentine's Day, I'm sure.

The thing about this movie is that, although Lauren Hutten (playing the big boss - KC) tries to convince us that sales associates packed into families have been running this scenario a long time, there is a glitch in the system.  Just when you begin to wonder if someone you know might be on the paylist, David Duchovny (playing father and husband, Steve) reacts in a human way to his job.  It isn't as if he can leave his work and go home - his work IS home.  His "wife" is beautiful, intelligent, and like a magnet drawing everyone around her and his "kids" have real life issues that come with growing up to face daily without actually dealing with them.  Though he's never been a dad in real life, he can't help himself in becoming attached and invested in the people he shares a roof and a common goal with.

For those of us living in reality, we often take that shared roof for granted.  We forget to smile or kiss or be there for each other because we are so busy collecting stuff to make us happy.  This movie is one that will put everything into perspective again.