the secret of kells
the secret of kells screens sunday the 10th of february 11. 30am @ fact
read more about the making of the secret of kells in the new york times’ feature .
the secret of kells (amv) | talisman ft. elena - aisling' s song
the secret of kells is one of the most beautifully animated films of the past decade. directed by irish animator tomm moore, it’s a retelling of the origins of the book of kells .
is a fictional cat from the movie
the secret of kells
. it is the cat of aidan .
steeped in both magic and mythology, the secret of kells offers a refreshing alternative to hollywood fare .
is a fictional character from
the secret of kells
. she is voiced by christen mooney .
is a fictional character from
the secret of kells
. he is voiced by mick lally .
the secret of kells is a magical adventure unlike anything we' ve seen on screen before .
brendan is a fictional character from the movie
the secret of kells
. he is voiced by evan mcguire .
“the secret of kells, ” well directed by tomm moore, will likely appeal to older fans of fantasy and animation .
five years after its debut, the oscar - nominated irish feature “the secret of kells” finally has its own art - of book .
abbot cellach is a fictional character from the movie
the secret of kells .
he is voiced by brendan gleeson .
looking for movie tickets? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the secret of kells near you .
animat' s classic reviews: the secret of kells (2013) (tv episode) reviewed, clips shown .
the irish animation studio behind oscar - nominated ‘song of the sea’ and ‘the secret of kells’ just landed an oscar winner for its next feature .
irish animator tomm moore follows his celebrated feature debut, the secret of kells, with another ravishing fantasy based on irish folklore .
the secret of kells might rush it plot, but it visuals and what it culturally shares are mesmerizing. while it' s not a faithful historical account of the creation of the book of kells it is a rewarding visual experience .
[ … ] fairies and angels, monsters and missionaries comingle in stories and legend. his first film, the secret of kells, is a fanciful and wondrous imagining of the creation of the book of kells. his second, song of the [ … ]
the secret of kells has elements of a quest adventure and a coming - of - age story, but it' s more beautifully stylized and astutely abstracted than the average kiddie cartoon .
urltoken beautifully drawn and refreshingly calm, the secret of kells hearkens back to animation' s golden age with an enchanting tale inspired by irish mythology .
ireland has produced a similarly idiosyncratic and equally effective piece of cultural animation. the secret of kells is quite simply one of the most beautiful pieces of cinema ever created. criminally overlooked on release (academy award nomination aside) the film tells the story of the composition of the legendary book of kells, an early christian illuminated manuscript, against the backdrop of the viking invasion of ireland .
other winners at the ceremony include another oscar - nominated feature the secret of kells, and flogging molly' s: float, which landed the best music video prize .
[ … ] we first watched tomm moore’s the secret of kells together, my kids were enthralled. we went online after the movie ended and looked at the images of [ … ]
the new animated masterpiece from the producers of kirikou and the sorceress and the triplets of belleville, the secret of kells film blends fantasy and mythology to create a richly detailed and striking visual landscape, folding traditionally celtic influences into a riot of color and detail that dazzle the eyes. hailed by international critics as one of the most beautiful films of the year and winner of the audience award at the prestigious annecy animation festival, the secret of kells has also been nominated for the academy award for best animated film .
secret of kells was directed by tomm moore and nora twomey and voice actors include brendan gleeson, christen mooney, mick laffy, michael mcgrath and evan mcguire .
if, like me, you have wearied of a steady diet of pixar and disney animation, you will be intruiged and dazzled by
the secret of kells .
the movie is... continue reading
strangely, the filmmakers never explain exactly what is inside the book of kells. why do you suppose that might be? does the movie make you curious to investigate the real book of kells ?
“the secret of kells, ” directed by tomm moore, concerns the book of kells, a medieval illuminated manuscript that ranks among the most important artifacts of irish civilization. and it is only fitting that a movie concerned with the power and beauty of drawing — the almost sacred magic of color and line — should be so gorgeously and intricately drawn .
3. about the book of kells• the actual book of kells is an illuminated manuscript of the gospels of the new testament. illuminated manuscripts were elaborately copied and decorated religious books created by monks in the early middle ages. • the book of kells was created by celtic monks sometime around the 9th century ce. in addition to the text, the book contains images of mythical creatures, humans, celtic knots, and various elaborate patterns in different colors. the book was kept at the abbey of kells for many centuries. it now is on permanent display at the trinity college library in dublin, ireland. cover of the book of kells
great observation about abbot cellach! do you think the way he was drawn reflected the type of person he was? how does the
lost thing
and
the secret of kells
relate to each other? again, nicely done .
mostly hand - drawn with a few digital effects, “the secret of kells” is not only not in 3 - d — the images are so deliberately flat that they often seem less than 2 - d .
a gentle spirit of syncretism suffuses “the secret of kells, ” which mixes folklore and history without too much piety or violence. the exact nature of the manuscript — the real book of kells contains the four gospels of the new testament — is left vague. and the brutality of the faceless, relentless marauders from the north is suggested rather than graphically shown, so that the cruelty is likely to sail over the heads of very young children while giving older ones a not - too - upsetting thrill of danger .
in its refreshingly untouristy view of ireland, the secret of kells offers a third way for animators. to find originality, by all means make use of the founding myths of civilisation and the art and music of legend. just steer clear of green - lighting disney’s ‘the emerald oisle’, starring johnny depp, with songs by u2 .
one of the experts on the manuscript bernard meehan writes
for many in ireland it symbolises the power of learning, the impact of christianity on the life of the country, and the spirit of artistic imagination. ” that' s true for the tens of thousands of visitors who pay homage to the manuscript each year and it’s even captured the imagination of filmmakers. the secret of kells, an animated feature about a young boy’s passion for the manuscript was nominated for an oscar .
the secret of kells (working title: brendan and the secret of kells) is an animated fantasy feature film distributed by cartoon saloon. it premiered on february 11, 2009 in france and belgum, march 3, 2009 on ireland, and march 12, 2010 in the united states. on february 2, 2010, it was nominated for an academy award for best animated feature, but lost to up .
of the small walled in community, abbot cellach tries to keep his nephew brendan out of trouble and focus on building the wall that will keep the vikings out. when aidan of iona finds refuge in the abbey of kells, brendan soon finds out about the secret book that aidan keeps and the mysteries out side the wall .
for those of you who haven’t heard yet… brendan and the secret of kells has been nominated for an oscar in the animated feature film category. it will be up against coraline, up! , disney’s the princess and the frog, and fantastic mr fox. here is a link to director - animator tomm moore’s the blog of kells. most of his posts for the last year have been about the reception of the movie around the world .
[ i recommend the secret of kells for teenagers and adults. young children might be frightened by the abstract but alarming northmen, by the snake - like villain crom cruach, and by some wolves with big nasty teeth. ]
the secret of kells (working title: brendan and the secret of kells) is a 2009 irish - french - belgian [ 1 ] animated fantasy film by cartoon saloon that premiered on 8 february 2009, at the 59th berlin international film festival. it went into wide release in belgium and france on 11 february, and in the republic of ireland on 3 march. it was nominated for the academy award for best animated feature. [ 2 ] [ 3 ]
families can talk about brendan as a hero. in what way is brendan' s adventure in the secret of kells similar to other fictional quests? who are his helpers, his mentors, his nemeses ?
10. “ the secret of kells”: dubbed “irish anime” by some observers, “the secret of kells” offers stylized designs, sumptuous backgrounds and an exciting story that will appeal to anime fans. twelve - year - old brendan lives at the monastery of kells, guarded by its walls and under the stern eye of abbot cellach. when brother aidan arrives bearing a wondrously beautiful but unfinished manuscript, brendan realizes he wants to become an illuminator and complete it. his determination wins the friendship of aisling, a silver - haired wood fairy, and enables him to defeat the serpentine god, crom cruach .
so begins this extraordinary animated film. the secret of kells might be a rewarding choice for your family during the christmas season. it’s bursting with imagination, music, inspiring characters, and a celebration of a holy book that brings light into the darkness .
the secret of kells is available on dvd / bluray as well as on many streaming services. you can read my review of tomm moore’s second film, the song of the s ea, here at the ignatius press novels blog as well. if you want a child’s perspective on it: for quite a while the secret of kell s was my six - year - old daughter’s favorite movie, but the song of the sea has now been awarded that honor .
either this artist is the beginning of a lineage, or we don' t know exactly who influenced his work. don' t feel bad. while you meditate your next search, you can hear some of secret of the kells' s most famous songs .
the book of kells isn’t the only illuminated manuscript in the so - called insular style. monks from the original monastery founded by st columba also set up other monastic communities including one on the great rock of lindisfarne in northumberland, established by the ionan monk aidan in 635. there monks created the lovely lindisfarne gospel but the irish would claim the book of kells is the finest of its kind. the 11th century annals of ulster describe the book of kells as “ primh - mind iarthair domain ”, “the most precious object of the western world” .
that' s the best anime film of the year, hands down, and it' s an egregious oversight to not include it on this list – esp. when (the wonderful) the secret of kells was released last year, and isn' t even anime !
in a time when many seem willing to set aside the gospel of “love your neighbor” for the sake of self - preservation, this fusion of irish history and myth seems urgent. just as the nativity itself reveals believers, pagans, and even ordinary animals gathering around the prince of peace, so the secret of kells shows the living word calling those inside and outside the walls of a church and offering them the sanctuary of grace .
suddenly, the vikings attacked. fortunately, aidan and brendan were able to escape kells .
“we’re still pinching ourselves, ” mr. moore, 33, a self - described cartoon geek with a goatee and rectangular glasses, said in an interview in new york last week. he began working on “the secret of kells” while studying animation in college, driven by an interest in history and particularly in the ornate graphic style of the real book of kells .
when he finds a mentor in brother aidan, a renowned artist of illuminated manuscripts, his conviction “fails. ” aidan is crafting a masterpiece— the book of kells —and he needs some special berries from the forest. they’re the secret ingredient of an ink essential for the “most glorious page” of this book: the “ chi ro” page .
moore is working on a second feature film entitled song of the sea (2014). [ 5 ] like the secret of kells, it will also be traditionally animated and will be based on irish folklore. it is currently in post - production .
we do use the celtic cross in the film; in fact the layout of kells is based on it. i believe the celtic cross shows the merging of pagan worship of the sun god lugh and the new christian faith. the circle that holds the arms of the cross can be seen as the overlaying of the old gods on the new faith .
brendan, the young ninth - century hero in the 2007 animated feature the secret of kells, has learned similar lessons. monstrous marauders are on the march, seeking to slay anyone in their path. and the woods are full of pagan forces. stay inside, says brendan’s guardian. be safe .
« gkids came along organically as (the organizers) and filmmakers coming to the festival felt that some really wonderful films were not being distributed in the u. s. , » gkids prexy and nyicff co - director eric beckman said. nyicff hosted the u. s. premiere of « the secret of kells » at a special event last summer. »the secret of kells » was directed by tomm moore and backed by french - belgian - irish co - producers les armateurs, viva film, cartoon saloon and france 2 cinema .
the scale and ambition of the book of kells is incredible. written on vellum, it is estimated that the skins of 185 calves were needed for the project. practically all of the 680 pages are decorated in some way or another. on some pages every corner is filled with the most detailed and beautiful celtic designs. this is a description thought by many to be of the book of kells by the 12th century writer gerald of wales :
the film is a gorgeous reminder of the beauty of god that waits beyond our walls of fear .
the book cover design for the book of kells had to be created based on the writings on what it had looked like before it had been stolen .
the oscar animated feature race is getting crowded, with an old - school handdrawn toon (« the secret of kells ») and a spanish - made cg talking - critter movie (« the missing lynx ») pushing the category over the 16 - film submission threshold needed to support five nominations .
even in a year with a lot of unlikely oscar nominees, tomm moore is a reach. mr. moore, the director of the animated film “the secret of kells, ” grew up and still lives in kilkenny, ireland, a one - cathedral town of a few thousand people about an hour and a half south of dublin and 5, 160 miles from hollywood .
the secret of kells is a story about a 12 year old boy who is sent on a journey to find the legendary crystal and complete the mythical book of kells. through the movie he is met with moments in which his quest is brought into question by not just his uncle but even himself. with the help of some friends he meets on the way including a little white cat and a magical little girl in the forest the story moves at a great pace and keeps the viewers interest .
2. released in february of 2005, the secret of kells was an irish / belgian co - production that went on to garner various nominations and awards in film festivals, including an academy award nomination for best animated feature. the film is loosely based on the story of the actual book of kells, an irish illuminated manuscript from the late 9th century. the film follows brendan, a young monk at the abbey of kells inireland, as he seeks to discover what lies outside the massive walls of the abbey, and also to help the old monk from iona named aiden complete the book he has been working on. the film was directed by tom moore, and written by tom moore and fabrice ziolkowski .
amazingly since they were written, the majority of the pages have been passed down through the generations with just 60 pages missing. but medieval sources do record that an illuminated manuscript was stolen from the stone church of kells in 1006 which is likely to have been the book of kells. according to the annals of ulster it was found “two months and twenty days” later “under a sod. ” after fighting in the cromwellian period, the church at kells lay in ruins, and in 1653 the book was sent to dublin by the governor of kells for safekeeping. a few years later it reached trinity college where it remains today .
14. christianity continued more than a light in the darkness, the wallsthat abbot cellach construct around kells canbe seen to represent the walls that christianity builds around the dangers of the vikings and also the old beliefs, of demons and bloodthirsty spirits of the old celts .
on a less troublesome note, the secret of kells doesn’t shy away from dark material. though safe for a family audience, some of the sequences grow fairly intense, especially towards the end, when marauding vikings come a - callin’. coupled with the slow pace, it makes the film more of a treat for adult animation fans than kids looking for a good time .
the secret of kells began development in 1999, when tomm moore and several of his friends were inspired by richard williams' the thief and the cobbler, disney' s mulan and the works of hayao miyazaki, which based their visual style on the respective traditional art. they decided to do something similar to studio ghibli' s films but with irish art. [ 15 ]
the secret of kells is a wonderful film experience. it has a unique look that might be called irish or celtic modern, and a compelling well - told story that is as charming as it is exciting. moreover the story seems quite real as opposed to the elaborate tall tales hollywood invents .
gkids picked up u. s. rights to « the secret of kells » just three days before the oscar submission deadline and plans to open the 2d toon for a one - week qualifying run on dec. 4 at the amc burbank 8 in los angeles, followed by a wider release in march 2010 .
brendan’s busy adventures load the film with a bit too much narrative for its brief running time, but the sometimes hectic plot ultimately serves as scaffolding for moore’s visual brio. using the vivid colors and delicate lineations of the book of kells for inspiration, he establishes a surprising and persuasive link between the ancient art of manuscript illumination and the modern practice of animation. like the crystal lens that is a crucial element of aidan’s craft — an enchanted eye that refracts and renews his, and then brendan’s, perception — “the secret of kells” discloses strange new vistas that nonetheless seem to have existed since ancient times .
moore’s film (the co - director is nora twomey and the screenwriter fabrice ziolkowski) was a somewhat surprising nominee for best animated feature at this year’s oscars, rounding out a gratifyingly diverse field. the flat, stylized drawings in “the secret of kells” complement the 3 - d flights of “coraline” and “up, ” the stop - motion inventions of “fantastic mr. fox” and the old - school cel compositions of “the princess and the frog, ” and together the five movies testified to the robustness and visual variety of animation today .
secret of kells was later nominated for an oscar for best animated feature in 2009. but kells, produced by moore’s cartoon saloon studio in kilkenny city, was a flop at home (recouping only €700, 000 out of a €6. 5m budget). audiences had no interest in a gorgeous animation that drilled deeply into the country’s rich mythological heritage. they would rather watch cars 2 instead .
kc: most people from abroad say it is difficult to get distribution in the us. was that the case with kells ?
gkids was aided by a “superfan, ” jamie bolio, an animator who had fallen in love with the film at edinburgh. the company essentially enabled her to be a citizen publicist, allowing her to post on “the secret of kells” facebook page and giving her 200 dvds to distribute to the los angeles cartooning industry .
hello there, and welcome! this is an encyclopedia about everything and anything related to the best movie ever ,
the secret of kells !
we' re having a little trouble with the articles, links, pictures and most especially the homepage, so you are free to edit or create your own articles .
it was the surprised gasp heard round the world. as oscar nominations were being handed out a few weeks ago, the animated film category got a resounding studio slap in the face when ireland' s the secret of kells walked away with one of the five coveted slots. no cloudy with a chance of meatballs. no astro boy or ice age: dawn of the dinosaurs. instead, amongst the usual suspects from disney and pixar, along with the equally wonderful work of coraline and the fantastic mr. fox was this little known, little seen effort focusing on one of the emerald isle' s greatest national treasures and long dead art of book illumination. don' t think this is a case of academy voters patronizing some independent artists in their attempt to main creatively relevant within a domain dominated by the house of mouse, however. in this case, the secret of kells deserves all the accolades - and potential awards - it' s receiving .
i’ve become positively evangelical for the secret of kells; i delight in sharing it with friends and loved ones. the animation—from the explosive imagination of filmmaker tomm moore—is breathtakingly beautiful, the scrollwork of celtic art winding like vines all around its imagery: they make the four gospels look like a living word. the voice actors (including brendan gleeson as cellach) are uniformly strong, and the music is as boisterous and bold as the imagery .
13. christianity• though the contents of the • the book and, to a large book of kells isn’t degree, christianity specifically mentioned in represent the light in the the film, certainly the darkness, the enemy artwork is heavily against the pagan intruders influenced by illuminated and the old gods that stalk manuscript. the land .
song of the sea is a beautiful film, if rather serious. it could be interpreted as a repudiation of pixar and disney, with their emphasis on cuddly cgi and “teachable moments”. as with the secret of kells, moore, instead, looks east for inspiration — to the haunting style pioneered by japan’s hayao miyzaki (there are echoes of miyazaki’s rumination on japanese mythology, spirited away) .
wow! an excellently awesome cinematic surprise. secret of kells fuses stylised animation, along with brilliant storytelling. the animation is the real star. it looks so seamless and beautiful. every shot is a miniature work of art. the story itself tells a wonderful and inspiring tale about being too overprotective, and exploring the world around us. it was nice to see a film with a calm climax, like the work of miyazaki, secret of kells refuses to stick to the formulaic layout as set by disney. it' s not all sunshine and roses here. the voice work is also incredible, with every character brought to life thanks to some real seasoned actors. a wonderful, brilliant film for all fans of animation .
moore is about to release his second full - length animation film, song of the sea, which features the voices of brendan gleeson, david rawle (moone boy) and singer lisa hannigan. a retelling of the ancient irish myth of the mermaid - like selkie, the film, moore hopes, will trump the lukewarm reception of the secret of kells. it arrives in ireland with wind in its sails, having been acclaimed by critics in the us, where it garlanded cartoon saloon a second oscar nomination (edging out the hugely fancied lego movie) .
set in a remote abbey in medieval ireland, “the secret of kells” follows the adventures of a boy — a young monk in training — as he works with an illuminator to finish the book of kells, the latin manuscript transcribed by celtic monks around a. d. 800 and considered an irish national treasure. rich with pagan myth and jungian symbolism, the movie is lavishly illustrated to mimic the perspectiveless style of pre - renaissance art: it’s not exactly lightweight fare. except for a weeklong qualifying run in burbank, calif. , a spot at the mostly british film festival in san francisco and a few screenings at festivals in new york, “the secret of kells” has not played in the united states. it is scheduled to open in new york on friday, two days before the oscars, and go into wider release around st. patrick’s day. it is mr. moore’s first feature .
in fact, the secret of kells is eye candy sweeter than most. it’s mesmerizing in its never - ending innovation and caloric in pure creativity. from a solely enigmatic standpoint, the film stands strongly with the work of their american cousins. oscar needn’t be embarrassed over including this movie among its five finalists. when compared to the commercial crassness usually coming out of the studio system, something so dedicated to celebrating art and artisans retains a great deal of its dramatic pull. certainly, some of the material is aimed directly at a demographic that responds to pretty pictures and little else. but when mixed with the mythology and cinematic majesty, it comes across as a classic. the secret of kells may have come out of nowhere to shock the motion picture establishment, but now that it’s known, it deserves it' s proffered place .
the secret of kells got positive reviews from almost every critic. it recieved a 90% certified
fresh
rating from rotten tomatoes with the consensus ,
beautifully drawn and refreshingly calm, the secret of kells hearkens back to animation' s golden age with an enchanting tale inspired by irish mythology .
it recieved 35 fresh reviews and 4 rotten ones. one critic said ,
this irish feature won’t impress anyone with its character drawings, but the backgrounds remind us what stunning imagery once resulted from nothing more than a pen and all the time in the world .
another critic said ,
a glorious throwback to the more stylized, painterly work of decades past, the kind of vividly colored, fanciful pictorials that are usually confined to the small - scale realm of animated shorts .
the secret of kells is about a boy named brendan who finds out about what is outside the walls of kells, which holds deep, dark secrets that little people know. the art style of this movie i found very intriguing, with all the patterns and designs. at the start of the movie, abbot cellach appears big and mean, and wants full authority over brendan. but towards the end of the movie, abbot cellach appears caring towards his now grown up son. he is happy and appreciative to see him. brendon grows as a character throughout the movie. at the start, he is curious and adventurous, but at the end, he is responsible and mature .
the biggest surprise when oscar nomi nations were an nounced came when “the secret of kells, ” an obscure irish - french - belgian co - production, scored a nod for best animated feature, squeezing out such high - profile contenders as “monsters vs. aliens, ” “ponyo, ” “cloudy with a chance of meatballs” and “a christmas carol. ”
a former illuminator himself, abbot cellach now utilizes his talents for the purposes of designing a wall to protect the abbey of kells from invasion. he is very concerned for everyone' s safety, especially that of his nephew brendan .
4. about the book of kells (continued) • though there is no doubt that the book of kells was created by irish monks, there are 5 different theories of exactly where and when it was produced. some say it was written entirely at the older abbey of iona, and then the illustrations were added at kells. others offer that it was produced entirely at iona, and moved to kells during the viking invasions. there is evidence that the book has changed hands several times, and was possibly stolen at least once, due to some damage and missing pages. • the filmmakers use this mystery surrounding the books history to create an ending not often seen in animated films .
the illustrations and ornamentation of the book of kells surpass that of other insular gospel books in extravagance and complexity. the decoration combines traditional christian iconography with the ornate swirling motifs typical of insular art. figures of humans, animals and mythical beasts, together with celtic knots and interlacing patterns in vibrant colours, enliven the manuscript’s pages. many of these minor decorative elements are imbued with christian symbolism and so further emphasize the themes of the major illustrations .
kells abbey was plundered and pillaged by vikings many times in the 10th century, and how the book survived there is not known. the book contains the complete text of the gospels of matthew, mark and luke, and the gospel of john through john 17: 13. the remainder of john and an unknown amount of the preliminary matter is missing and was perhaps lost when the book was stolen early in the 11th century ad .
the book of kells is the most famous, and one of the finest of a group of illuminated manuscripts in what is known as the insular style (celtic style), produced from the late 6th through the early 9th centuries in monasteries in ireland, scotland and england. it is an illuminated manuscript gospel book in latin, containing the four gospels of the new testament located in dublin, ireland .
the academy award nomination for the secret of kells hints at the film’s brilliance. that recognition came as a major surprise as the film was only seen by a handful of people in la & ny when it qualified for a possible oscar nomination. it did not open nationally until this march, but thanks to a grassroots campaign by people who have seen it, and i’m one of them, word is spreading that the film is quite extraordinary .
the secret of kells tells the simple story of the boy behind the famed book of kells. the story while simplistic enriches us with a thoughtful story. one that put forth the importance of the written word, preservation of imagination, and the essence of civilized life. the plot while revolving around christianity never gives off a christian overtone. this aspect is rightfully downplayed so it can become accessible for anyone and making it final message delivery a reflection of what most valuable in life over a promotion towards religious views. the character archetypes despite simplicity given to them keeps the viewer interested. the world, just like the characters, are lively and energetic as well somber and sullen. though it' s not entirely flawless. the fast pace of the story doesn' t allow development for important characters to flourish. too many instances elements are merely commented on or significant key characteristic glossed over. leaving closure on some story line to feel empty. given it' s a film that is about 75 minutes one will be shocked by the abrupt ending that never materialize the true power of the book of kells holds .
in paris, a cat who lives a secret life as a cat burglar' s aide must come to the rescue of zoe, the little girl he lives with, after she falls into a gangster' s clutches .
mr. moore and mr. beckman both said they didn’t believe “the secret of kells” had a chance of winning an oscar. but in their case just being nominated really does pay dividends: in audience awareness, dvd sales and future financing. mr. moore added that he hoped he could attract other people to create an indie animation scene in ireland .
tomm moore, (born 7 january 1977) is an irish illustrator, comics artist and filmmaker. he is co - founder of cartoon saloon, an animation studio and production company, based in kilkenny, ireland. his first feature film, the secret of kells, was nominated for an academy award for best animated feature film on 2 february 2010 .
the beauty of the visuals can' t be overstated in this absolutely lovely piece of animated storytelling .
hand - drawn animation has all - but disappeared from the american movie world. tomm moore seems determined to show the unique possibilities of the genre. the perspective of the world in the secret of kells is flattened, as if all of the action were playing out upon a literal page. the character design and backgrounds are inspired by celtic illuminations and art; the motion suggested by the intricate knotted and scrolling artwork in the book of kells is here interpreted on screen in animated form unlike any other movie i’ve seen. moore knows just how to subvert expectations and break the conventions of traditional animation in order to give freshness and newness to 2d animation. despite being discarded in favor of 3d computer animation by most studios, traditional hand - drawn still has the ability to make you gasp in wonder, especially when handled by such a masterful director .
“we scratched our heads and said, ‘what is the best way to get this film a nomination? ’ ” said eric beckman, the president of gkids, the four - person company that bought the rights to distribute “the secret of kells” in the united states just days before the oscar nomination forms were due. “do we need to take out big ads in variety to reach the 100 or so people in this committee? it seemed like a viral word - of - mouth campaign would be more successful. ”
these manuscripts also happen to be the obsession of the movie’s hero, brendan (voiced by evan mcguire), an orphaned pre - teen novice at a monastery in kells, ireland .
production began in 2005 and eventually included 200 people across five countries; to cut costs, the animation was done in batches in france, belgium, brazil and hungary. his pan - european partners include didier brunner and viviane vanfleteren, who produced “the triplets of belleville” — the sales boost it got from its oscar nomination in 2004 helped finance “the secret of kells” — and fabrice ziolkowski, a french writer who helped develop the screenplay .
completely agree with everything said above. replace naruto with summer wars. naruto has its good points, but summer wars completely would blow that out of the water. and i have no idea what secret of kells is doing on here, failing in two respects: 1) last year. 2) not anime. animation, yes. japanese animation, no .
cinema sunday’s animation presentation in august is the wonderful irish / french / belgian co - production the secret of kells, a lavishly rendered, painstakingly hand - drawn interpretation of celtic lore. irish animator and illustrator tomm moore dreamt of making this film since his college days; in 2009 his gorgeous vision was finally realized. inspired both by celtic myth and the famous book of kells, an illuminated manuscript from medieval times that is one of ireland’s treasures, the film tells the story of brendan, a young boy living in the dark ages. coming under the tutelage of a master illuminator, he embarks on a dangerous quest to help complete a magical book and bring light back into his world. the secret of kells has been much admired by critics and audiences alike, and has garnered awards and accolades rarely received by independent films, including an academy award nomination for best animated feature. come join us for a film rich in history and folklore, with a haunting, highly distinctive visual style hailed by variety as “refreshingly different” and “absolutely luscious to behold. ” colour, blu - ray disc, english, 75 mins .
when it was time for the film’s qualifying theatrical run, gkids booked a theater in burbank near many animation studios. mr. moore did one q & a for a roomful of about 60 people, which included some top designers and executives — and academy voters — in the field. the support for “the secret of kells” became clear when it was nominated for an annie, an industry award, among the few independent films ever to do so .
11. abbot cellach • a former illuminator • abbot cellach now uses his talents for the purposes of designing a wall to protect the abbey of kells from invasion. he is very concerned for everyones safety, especially that of his nephew brendan, to the point where he thinks of little else but the completion of his wall. eventually, this leads to his downfall .
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. see more »
kells has a decidedly pleasing - to - the - eye, retro - cartoon vibe (...) an intriguing and rare artistic subgenre
talk about the difference between the views of abbot cellach and brother aidan. whose way of looking at the world is wiser ?
“we didn’t think we’d get it — the numbers didn’t stack up. the lego movie was in there and that was going to win. with the secret of kells, we had no idea how things worked in la. this time around, i was able to gauge the temperature. i spent a lot of time going to studios, showing song of the sea, shaking hands. i’m a member of the academy [ of motion picture arts and sciences ] and, although precluded from voting, i could go to the screenings [ of rival films ]. i came back to the lads and said, ‘i can’t see us getting a nomination’. ”
set in medieval ireland, the secret of kells follows 12 - year - old brendan (voiced by evan mcguire), who lives with his uncle abbott cellach (brendan gleeson), a monk who runs the abbey of kells. the abbott is focused on fortifying kells from the imminent threat of a viking invasion, and he expects all the brothers and his nephew, to work on defending the abbey. life for brendan changes dramatically when the renowned master illuminator brother aidan (mick lally) arrives in kells with an incomplete illuminated manuscript. fascinated, brendan begins to disobey his uncle to help brother aidan find the right ingredients for ink, and in time discovers that he himself has a talent for illumination. as the barbarians advance closer and closer, brendan embarks on a quest to find a special crystal needed to finish the book. with the help of a beautiful fairy / wolf girl named aisling (christen mooney), brendan enters a nearby enchanted forest, where he must face an ancient serpent god to find the crystal, return to the abbey and finish the sacred text .
mick lally as brother aidan; as the vikings attacked the scottish island of iona, master illuminator brother aidan fled with his cat, pangur bán. in kells, he acquires brendan as an assistant .
the secret of kells resembles nothing else on the market: a fascinating, surreal exercise in pure artistic design. it uses a semi - mythical irish legend as its basis, then springboards into a full - bore meditation on the fragility of knowledge and the uneasy truce between nature and civilization. in medieval ireland, a conclave of monks works to “illuminate” (transcribe) valuable books filled with precious information. they also build a massive wall to keep out viking invaders, aided by a growing village of displaced peasants fleeing the barbarian onslaught. a young abbot named brendon (voiced by evan mcguire) has grown up in the monastery and seen nothing of the world beyond. he longs to visit the nearby woods, but his stern uncle (voiced by brendan gleeson) forbids it. the arrival of a wizened old monk—and the priceless book of kells which he carries—prompts the boy to defy his uncle’s orders, thus marking the beginning of a grand adventure .
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brendan gleeson as abbot cellach. a former illuminator himself, abbot cellach now uses his talents for the purposes of designing a wall to protect the abbey of kells from invasion. he is very concerned for everyone' s safety, especially that of his nephew brendan, to the point where he thinks of little else but the completion of his wall. eventually, this leads to his downfall .
the plot: brendan is a twelve - year - old boy being brought up in the walled abbey of kells by his uncle, the stern abbot. the threat of invasion by norsemen hangs heavily over the community. the abbot leads the way as monks and laymen work feverishly to build a wall to keep invaders out. outside the abbey there are hints that the dark side of irish paganism may not be altogether banished from the land .
one summer a few years ago i stayed in student rooms in trinity college. although the accommodation was rather spartan with the traditional blue tack scars on the walls, it was so atmospheric to be able to wander around the old buildings of the dublin university long after all the tourists had gone. best of all was the chance to visit the book of kells as many times as i wanted. (the library displays a different page each day .) these illuminated manuscripts are one of the wonders of medieval europe .
dave jesteadt, director of distribution for gkids, the film’s us distributor, told me, “we could not be more thrilled at how the secret of kells has been building grassroots support and intense enthusiasm among those who have seen it, particularly in the animation community. the fans have really embraced the film, and the oscar nomination is certainly a result of this hard work and community spirit, which shows a viable alternative to the huge budgets spent on typical award campaigns. the nomination also ensures that a much wider audience will get to see the film, which is really all we ever hoped for. ”
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans. it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
aisling is a wolf girl and fairy, related to the tuatha de danann, living in the woods outside of kells. she is a protector of the forest, and doesn' t like unwelcome guests. at this point her age is uncertain, but she is likely to be hundreds of years old .
the song of the sea is a children' s film that adults will find compelling because of its emotional depth .
it’s a shame then that the level of invention in the visuals doesn’t wholly match the meaning in the narrative. the secret of kells is simplistic in its message, measuring out clear cut lessons in ways that even the youngest viewer would plainly recognize and welcome. brendan is, in general, forced to defy authority to meet his predestined fate. nothing new there. he communes with nature (in the form of aisling) in order to gain a greater wisdom of the world around him. uncle cellach dedication to the albatross which is the wall reveals his inherent weaknesses while the other monks tend to represent elements of life (brains, brawn, belligerence) that really does little to deepen the mystery. still, it’s enough to tie moore and twomey' s brilliant work on, supportive of scenes so stunning they melt the onscreen sky and redecorate the very fabric of the organic plane presented.
the secret of kells is a 2009 french-belgian-irish animated fantasy film animated by cartoon saloon that premiered on 8 february 2009 at the 59th berlin international film festival . it went into wide release in belgium and france on 11 february , and ireland on 3 march . it was directed by tomm moore and nora twomey , produced by paul young , didier brunner and vivian van fleteren , written by fabrice ziolkowski , distributed by gébéka films , kinepolis film distribution , studiocanal and buena vista , edited by fabienne alvarez-giro and music composed by bruno coulais and kíla . it stars evan mcguire , brendan gleeson , christen mooney , mick lally , michael mcgrath , liam hourican , paul tylak and paul young . it was nominated for the academy award for best animated feature . 
the secret of kells is a 2009 french-belgian-irish animated fantasy film animated by cartoon saloon that premiered on 8 february 2009 at the 59th berlin international film festival. it went into wide release in belgium and france on 11 february, and ireland on 3 march. it was directed by tomm moore and nora twomey, produced by paul young, didier brunner and vivian van fleteren, written by fabrice ziolkowski, distributed by gébéka films, kinepolis film distribution, studiocanal and buena vista, edited by fabienne alvarez-giro and music composed by bruno coulais and kíla. it stars evan mcguire, brendan gleeson, christen mooney, mick lally, michael mcgrath, liam hourican, paul tylak and paul young. it was nominated for the academy award for best animated feature.
the secret of kells is a 2009 french-belgian-irish animated fantasy film animated by cartoon saloon that premiered on 8 february 2009 at the 59th berlin international film festival. it went into wide release in belgium and france on 11 february, and ireland on 3 march. it was directed by tomm moore and nora twomey, produced by paul young, didier brunner and vivian van fleteren, written by fabrice ziolkowski, distributed by gébéka films, kinepolis film distribution, studiocanal and buena vista, edited by fabienne alvarez-giro and music composed by bruno coulais and kíla. it stars evan mcguire, brendan gleeson, christen mooney, mick lally, michael mcgrath, liam hourican, paul tylak and paul young. it was nominated for the academy award for best animated feature.