Ondine

I love that there are always cheap DVDs available now at the super market and big box stores. I picked up Ondine for less than half the price of a movie ticket and was able to enjoy this little gem quietly at home. Home was the perfect setting to view this modern fairytale.

Some films are just not suited to big theater viewing with a crowd. For me, it really takes an in-your-face blockbuster style film to overcome the presence of so many people rustling, snacking, making asides, etc. Ondine is not that type of film. I was not really surprised to find the film discounted already, but was a little saddened after watching the film that it had not found a significant audience.

The film is beautifully shot and acted and the story is sweet and gritty at the same time. The film quietly deals with how lives that are broken can be mended, even if somewhat imperfectly. It allows that redemption is possible in a modern world where "Once upon a time" and "Happily ever after" are faced with skepticism even by children.

It brought to mind the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which I also loved because it was not afraid to have a "happy" ending. Both works allow for the characters to have a positive resolution in an imperfect world. It's not exactly the "happily ever after" of traditional fairytales but the acknowledgement that people can find what they need and the real happiness that accompanies that amongst the difficulties of life.