A down on his luck fisherman looks in his net one day and finds a woman. The down on his luck fisherman has an adorable and precocious daughter who convinces him the catch may be a selkie, a half woman, half seal from the depths of Irish myth and legend.
We watch as Ondine, the beautiful selkie played by Alicja Bachleda, develops a close relationship with the fisherman and his daughter. We wait to find out if she really is a creature from the deep. Hints along the way point us in the direction of our suspension of disbelief. Ondine sings, and the fisherman catches more fish than ever before. His luck turns. He receives his boon, which is the gift of the hero from the otherworld.
The suspense comes from surprising directions. Ondine is hunted by a man who may be her husband from the deep. The fisherman’s daughter researches the legend and tells her father what he must do. Myth and the modern converge for the climax, and we, the viewers, sort out our trip into fable and reality.
* * *
A small sidebar: Alicja Bachleda is a knockout in the role. It’s no surprise that Colin Farrell saw what we all see even off screen. The two have a child together. We do not yet know whether he possesses special aquatic powers.
Ondine