Ondine

ONDINE is the story of Syracuse (Colin Farrell), a simple fisherman who catches a beautiful and mysterious woman in his trawler’s nets. The woman seems to be dead, but then she comes alive before Syracuse’s eyes and he thinks he may be seeing things. However, with the help of his ailing, yet irrepressible daughter, Annie (Alison Barry), he comes to believe that the fantastical might be possible and that the woman (Ondine, Alicja Bachleda) might be a myth come true. Ondine and Syracuse fall passionately in love, but just as we think the fairytale might go on forever, the real world intercedes. Then, after a terrible car crash and the return of a dark and violent figure from Ondine’s past, hope eventually prevails and a new beginning is presented to Syracuse, Ondine and Annie.

ONDINE premieres on VOD, XBOX and Amazon.com on May 7 and opens in theaters June 4, 2010.

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Review – The Eclipse

Before we begin, it’s not THAT Eclipse. There are no shape shifters or vampires in this movie. This Eclipse is a spooky tale about love and loss in a picturesque coastal Irish town. Yes, I know it still sounds like that other Eclipse. After earning praise at some film festivals last year Conor McPherson’s film is getting a limited release in the US and opens on Friday March 26th.

Michael Farr (Ciarán Hinds) has been seeing things. Two years after losing his wife to illness there is a disturbing presence in his house that he’s not sure is a ghost or just his imagination. While volunteering for an annual literary festival that’s held in his seaside community, he meets Lena Morelle (Iben Hjejle), an author of supernatural books and turns to her for advice. Lena has to deal with an unwelcome presence of her own, a former flame and fellow writer Nicholas Holden, being honored at the festival (Aidan Quinn) who is eager to continue their relationship. The real and the unreal collide in Michael’s life and it might be what he needs to let go of his grief and move on.

Eclipse is a great grown-up ghost story. It had quite a few instances when I jumped in my seat. Couple that with an engaging love-triangle and you’ve got a layered and interesting film. The heart of the story is Michael, played so well by Ciarán Hinds. It’s a well-rounded and developed character to portray as well: sympathetic, charming and funny. And it’s no surprise really that Hinds turns in a wonderful performance. A delicious contrast is Aidan Quinn’s Nicholas Holden. Holden is entitled and obnoxious and from all accounts, not a very good writer. Quinn makes him almost impossible to like but with glimpses of humanity as he interacts with Lena. The woman between these two suitors is Lena, played by the Danish actress Iben Hjejle. It’s not hard to see Lena’s appeal to our two males. She’s beautiful and approachable, smart and compassionate; a job handily done by Hjejle.

Much like New York City is the 5th cast member in Sex and the City, the town of Cobh in County Cork, Ireland is also a vital part of The Eclipse. The gothic cathedral and ancient graveyards are integral to setting the disturbing mood for the film. So if you’re looking for a good old-fashioned creepy romp through the Irish countryside, The Eclipse is the movie for you. Bring someone along to hold on to for the really scary bits.

The Eclipse

THE ECLIPSE tells the story of Michael Farr (Ciarán Hinds), a teacher raising his two kids alone since his wife died two years earlier. Lately he has been seeing and hearing strange things late at night in his house. He isn’t sure if he is simply having terrifying nightmares or if his house is haunted.

Each year, the seaside town where Michael lives hosts an international literary festival, attracting writers from all over the world. Michael works as a volunteer for the festival and is assigned the attractive Lena Morelle (Iben Hjejle), an author of books about ghosts and the supernatural, to look after. They become friendly and he eagerly tells her of his experiences. For the first time he has met someone who can accept the reality of what has been happening to him.

However, Lena’s attention is pulled elsewhere. She has come to the festival at the bidding of world-renowned novelist Nicholas Holden (Aidan Quinn), with whom she had a brief affair the previous year. He has fallen in love with Lena and is going through a turbulent time, eager to leave his wife to be with her. But all Lena is trying to do is extricate herself from this mess and just get through the next few days.

As the festival progresses, the trajectories of these three people draw them into a life-altering collision.

Embellished by the supernatural, THE ECLIPSE is a film about the challenges of love, fear of the unknown and release from the burden of grief.

Opens March 26th in theaters, VOD, Amazon and XBox live.

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Leap Year

From the official site: Amy Adams and Matthew Goode star in LEAP YEAR, a romantic comedy that follows one woman’s determined quest to get married to the perfect guy…despite what fate has in store for her.

When their four-year anniversary passes without a marriage proposal, Anna (Amy Adams) decides to take matters into her own hands. Investing in an Irish tradition that allows women to propose to men on February 29th, Anna decides to follow her boyfriend Jeremy (Adam Scott) to Dublin and get down on one knee herself.

But airplanes, weather and fate leave Anna stranded on the other side of Ireland, and she must enlist the help of handsome and surly Declan (Matthew Goode) to get her across the country. As Anna and Declan bicker across the Emerald Isle, they discover that the road to love can take you to very unexpected places.

Open January 8th.

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