The Secret of Kells

"You can't find out everything from books, you know."
"I think I read that once."

In the 8th century, Kells is inhabited by a group of monks.  The monks, led by Abbott Cellach (Gleeson), are building a wall to protect their community from Viking attacks.  The Abbott keeps everyone on a strict building schedule, including his young nephew, Brendan (McGuire).  Brendan is intrigued by the stories of the other Brothers regarding the Book of Iona.

After the destruction of Iona, Brother Aidan (Lally) and the book escape to Kells.  Brother Aidan wants to work on the book, and enlists Brendan's help.  Brendan defies his uncle, and leaves the safety of the wall, and ventures into the forest.  Can he survive the forest, with the help of Aisling (Mooney), and save the book?


I first heard of this film when it was nominated for an Oscar in 2010 (it lost to Up).  The film was an Irish/French/Belgian production, and did not play heavily in the US.  Since then it has been featured on Netflix's instant streaming, and has been in my queue for quite some time.

The film is based on the Book of Kells, an actual illuminated manuscript from the 8th century, and several character names are taken from Irish poetry: the cat Pangur Ban is from an Irish poem (which is read in Irish during the end credits) and Aisling is a genre of poetry.

Visually, the film is gorgeous.  The story is relatively basic, but the style is captivating.  In addition to the artistry, the soundtrack is phenomenal.  The songs featured in the film, including the song Aisling sings, are haunting Irish ballads.  Everything culminates in a gripping film, that isn't just for children (actually adults will probably enjoy it more).

The Secret of Kells (2009) 75 minutes
Director: Tomm Moore & Nora Twomey
Starring: Evan McGuire as Brendan
Christen Mooney as Aisling
Brendan Gleeson as Abbott Cellach
Mick Lally as Brother Aidan