The Secret of Kells (2009)

Directors:

Tomm Moore
Nora Twomey (co-director)

Writers:

Tomm Moore (story)
Fabrice Ziolkowski (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 February 2009 (Belgium)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Fantasy

Plot:

The animated story of the boy behind the famed Book of Kells.

Plot Keywords:

Abbey | Fox Spirit | Character Name In Title

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 8 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Venise du Bois du Roy	...	Pangur Ban
Brendan Gleeson	...	Abbot Cellach (voice)
Liam Hourican	...	Brother Tang / Leonardo (voice)
Mick Lally	...	Aidan (voice)
Michael McGrath	...	Adult Brendan (voice)
Evan McGuire	...	Brendan (voice)
Christen Mooney	...	Aisling (voice)
Paul Tylack	...	Brother Assoua (voice)
Paul Young	...	Brother Square (voice)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

Argentina:75 min

Country:

France | Belgium | Ireland

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | Dolby SR

Certification:

Ireland:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | Malaysia:U

Filming Locations:

Kilkenny, County Kilkenny, Ireland

Company:

Les Armateurs

Trivia:

Although the characters, fantasy elements, and plot specifics of this movie are fictional, there is a real "Book of Kells", an illuminated, heavily illustrated rendering of the Four Gospels of the Christian bible, that dates from the Early Medieval period (probably the early Eighth Century) in Ireland. The best historical and archaeological evidence suggests that, starting shortly after it was finished, the book was moved several times (including, as depicted in the movie, during an Viking invasion) and lost for various periods. It has been housed at the library of Trinity College, Dublin, since the Seventeenth Century, and is considered perhaps the single most valuable cultural artifact of Irish History that has ever been discovered. Some of the design concepts for the movie echo aspects of the original Book of Kells; for instance, the shapes of the repeated tree patterns as Brendan enters the forest are quite similar to the arrangement and shapes of the columns and arches in the "Eusebian Canons, Folio 5R" page of the real book.

Quotes:

Aisling:Open your eyes and I'll tell you my name.
[Brendan opens them]
Aisling:*Aisling*
Brendan:Aisling.
Aisling:And this... is *my* forest.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 82nd Annual Academy Awards (2010) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Epicy

Unforgettably Haunting Animation

I would not have known about this film if not for its "surprise" Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature film. Thankfully, it came to pass that I was able to watch this animated little treasure.

The story is about the child Brendan who was the nephew of the imposing and overprotective Abbot of the township of Kells. The main pre-occupation of the Abbot is to build a wall to protect Kells from the attacking Vikings. One day, Aiden, the renowned illustrator from Iona, sought refuge with them. Aiden opens Brendan's eyes to the art of illustration and the lure of the outside world. Along the way, Brendan befriended the white forest sprite Aisling, as he sought to recover an ancient crystal invaluable to the meticulous art of book illustration.

"The Secret of Kells" is unlike most of the animation released these days. It is a throwback of sorts as the illustrations are done in stark geometric lines and design without much care for realism, as much as symbolism. The movements of these lines are reminiscent of the simplistic yet fluid animation style used at the beginning sequence of "Kung Fu Panda." However, it is the magnificent use of color that is the main source of wonderment for the audience. The reds used in the Viking invasion sequence is unforgettably haunting.

Try to catch this quiet gem of a film. It is a welcome respite from all the senseless bombast of current animated fare such as "Monsters vs. Aliens" and the like. The sparse Celtic musical score is effective in evoking the sense of fantasy that imbues the film. OK, the story might be a little shallow and the ending a bit wanting. I would have liked to know more about the Book that Brendan and Aiden was working on. But the clear star of this film is clearly its amazing stylized artwork, said to be based on the artwork in the real Book of Kells.