Ondine
Ondine is a 2009 Irish romantic drama film starring Stephen Rea and Colin Farrell acting alongside his real life wife Alicja Bachleda. The film was written and directed by Neil Jordan, the first film to be both written and directed by him since The Crying Game.
The film is set in the West of Ireland where Farrell plays a fisherman called Syracuse who catches a woman in his net one day. The woman is mysterious and wishes not to be seen by people. Syracuse's daughter Annie suspects she is a selkie. Oh, yes this is who Ondine is.
Tropes used in Ondine include:
- The Alcoholic: Syracuse and Maura, the difference is he's kicked the addiction.
- As Long as It Sounds Foreign
- As You Know: Annie gives Ondine a list of selkie rules. Subverted and coupled with Fridge Brilliance after the twist.
- Bitch Alert: Annie's mother. She doesn't get any nicer.
- Catch Phrase: Annie, "curiouser and curiouser". See Shout-Out below.
- Child Prodigy: Annie.
- Citizenship Marriage: Syracuse and Ondine/Juanna to allow her to stay in the country.
- Does Not Like Shoes: Ondine.
- Doing In the Wizard: Ondine isn't really a selkie, just a really good swimmer. The song she sings is actually a foreign pop song and her selkie husband is a drug baron.
- Foot Focus: Ondine has a big shot of her bare foot before Syracuse buys her shoes.
- Hair of Gold: Ondine.
- Halfway Plot Switch: The first 60% of the film is a romantic drama with a fairytale feel to it. The last 40% is a crime thriller.
- Lady Drunk
- Meaningful Name: Ondine means "out of the water"
- Mood Whiplash: And how!
- Oireland: Mostly averted with an Irish cast though Colin Farrell does seem to slip into it a bit with his heavy Cork accent.
- Romance on the Set: Colin Farrell and Alicja Bachleda were married during filming.
- Sadly Mythtaken: A Scottish mythical creature with a French name, living in Ireland. Of course subverted with the twist.
- Scenery Porn
- Scotireland: Selkies are Scottish creatures while Merrows are the Irish equivalents. Alex, who is Scottish, lampshades this.
- Selkies and Wereseals
- She's Got Legs: Ondine does like to wear dresses that show off her lovely legs.
- Fridge Brilliance: Syracuse bought all her clothes for her.
- Shout-Out: Annie's catchphrase is one to Alice in Wonderland.
- Sirens Are Selkies: Ondine has a haunting singing voice that hypnotises lobsters and fish into the nets.
- Women Are Wiser: Averted with Maura, Annie's mother who is an alcoholic mess. Even her equally boozed up husband is more competent than her.