"Song of the Sea" (2014)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

This was originally released in 2014, but hasn't hit cinemas on my shores until now. And let me tell you, if I had seen it last year, it would have easily ended up in my top five favourites of the year. :)
It's about Ben and Saoirse, a young brother and sister, who go on an adventure to free the faeries and save the spirit world.
This is a fairytale and fully commits itself to that sensibility: everything about it feels timeless and reminds me very much of old-school Disney.
The art style is among the most unique I've ever seen: it's literally like a storybook come to life, which again perfectly fits the fairytale-like nature of the story.
The movie also makes the clever choice of having several of the human characters have doppelgangers among the fantastical ones. You can have fun reading into that and coming up with interpretations as to why.
On top of that, Saoirse is just frigging adorable! :) I don't know what it is; I just have a soft spot for mute characters.
The movie as a whole envelops you in its fantastical atmosphere flawlessly, and ultimately makes for a surreal and poignant experience.

My rating: 85%