Kevin's Watch

This is one seriously beautiful film!

It's the story of a young monk (Brendan) learning about illuminating and his various adventures with a very cool fairy Aisling ('Ashling') while trying to finish the Book of Kells to preserve civilisation in the face of Viking raiders.

The animation is just stunning. It's done very differently to most recent animations. It's very '2D', taking its inspiration (very cleverly) from the original Book of Kells.

I had to order my DVD copy from Ireland. Hopefully now that it's been nominated for an Oscar, it'll be more readily available everywhere. It deserves to be!

I actually just watched this yesterday, it was really something special. On the surface everything is so simple, but there are mysterious depths in addition to the stunning visuals and music.

It's like the film is almost tricking you into thinking it's a lame Disney wannabe in the first 15 mins or so, until you start seeing some of the beauty in the corners of the frame, so to speak. Subtlety isn't something you usually see in animation.

And let me tell you, those Norsemen look scary.

I hadn't heard of it until it was nominated, but everything I see of it looks beautiful. Hopefully Netflix will have it eventually.

If you liked the music, The Dreaming, most of it was by a band called Kila.

This is their website (where I first heard about the film, actually)
www.kila.ie/

They put on one of the most stunning live performances you're ever likely to see, so if you get the chance, jump at it! (live)

Edit: general release date 19th March in US according to Kila site.

Cagliostro wrote:I hadn't heard of it until it was nominated, but everything I see of it looks beautiful.

Despite the heavy marketing that goes on by the major studios by sending out videos of the films and nominees for the Best Picture/Actor/Actress/Director categories after the nominations come out along with voting propaganda to the voting members of the Academy, this is one of the best things about the Academy Awards: bringing lesser known gems such as The Secret of Kells to the awareness of the general public. The same happened for me with Les triplettes de Belleville. I hope such keeps on coming.

Thanks for the heads up Stone. I do have a bit of an ear for this kind of music, but I only usually find it through a few degrees of separation. World music is such a broad genre, it's not terribly easy to sift through.

Cartoon Saloon, who made Secret of Kells, have released a trailer for their next film, Song of the Sea

Though I've read somewhere that it's still 2 years from release

Never heard of it. I don't see it playing near me. Have to keep an eye out.

What you said about the 2D animation reminds me of Samurai Jack. I'd heard about the series before it started, and was excited. I was very disappointed by the art at first glance. My expectations got in the way. Gave it another chance, for whatever reason, and I love it.

Fist wrote:

Never heard of it. I don't see it playing near me. Have to keep an eye out.

Look at the date on first post - Secret of Kells available on DVD now. Here's one of my favourite bits, where Aisling changes Pangur Ban (a cat) into a ghost ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTiSak8r9P8

Ah. heh

Should arrive from Netflix tomorrow!