Le cheval venu de la mer

Ignore that stupid video cover up above, it does not in any way do this film justice, and why they decided to sell it as a kids adventure, when it is much more, I will never know. The film is a simple tale, yet its the supernatural undertones, and reference to Irish myth which adds a whole different dimension to the film, raising it above most films of this sort. Its funny and poignant, and by the time the climax is reached, you have been sucked in and are willing the lads along, to its fantastically touching, thought provoking ending. The acting is superb, music perfectly apt, visuals hauntingly bleak. Its a contemporary fairy tale, strangely reminiscent of Edward Scissorhands, due to the pure simplicity of its plot. Watch this film, and get carried along on the journey, of course, ignoring that stupid poster.

Don't let the cheesy video cover put your off. This is a gem of a family movie that uses a wee bit of magic to pull a dysfunctional Irish family back together. This is not a Disney film. The actors lack Hollywood's plastic sheen and cutesy appeal--they're real and honest, and good. You know from the start that this story will end happily, but there are some interesting surprises along the way, and at the end, you feel like you've just seen a piece of literature, not popcorn entertainment.

I give this film 9/10. My 12-year-old gave it 10/10, and my sometimes-cynical husband acknowledged "Yeah, it's a pretty good movie." That's high praise indeed.

A very entertaining and interesting film on several levels.

Educational: about the life of the Tinkers or Travelers and the prejudice against them.

Entertaining: the little boys are lovable and delightful.

Mythical: where did the wonderful white horse come from and go?

Beautiful: country and seaside scenery and photography contrasted with crowded city scenes.

Romantic: he lost a wife he loved and left the wandering life, but returns to it when a lovely woman appears.

This film has everything! One of my All-Time Favorite movies!

Irish themes often end up cloying or playing to stereotype. This movie, with its "mystical" Celtish theme and its message of Irish pluck could easily have fall into either trap.

But the kids -- and the horse -- save the day. Great actors, those boys. Great choreography with a beautiful horse. Together, these elements make the story remarkably engaging -- keep the story itself from devolving into bathos, and make it impossible for you not to suspend disbelief and root for the horse! Great directing to bring this all together.

Example of how such a fantastical story is presented with some subtlety: in one almost inconsequential shot, the two boys are walking down a crowded Dublin sidewalk, leading the horse. A couple of kids pass them, and throw unprovoked verbal abuse at the boys, disparaging them for being travellers. The older boy quickly spits back a retort or two in kind and then returns seamlessly to his ongoing conversation with his brother -- but doesn't break his stride and doesn't show any signs that the abuse has even registered with him. It is as once heart-rending (what does it say about his life so far that such an attack barely registers, it must be so common), and a testament to the boy's courage.

In that one brief scene, the movie shows the depth of character the kid will draw on throughout the movie, and you can't help but root for him! And the acting makes you feel like this is really who the boy is, not that he's an actor playing a part. (It was such a better scene than the heavy-handed scenes with the requisite bad cop.)

This small-scale film focuses on Gypsy folklore and myth, reincarnation, nature, and childhood.

Early in the film two Irish boys are given a horse by their grandad, which they decide to keep hidden in their tenement flat. Their father is severely depressed after the death of his wife, and lets the boys run riot. When the children (and horse) go on the run, he comes to terms with his travelling past with the Gypsies again and seeks solace in their help, wisdom, and faith.

'Into the West' is a truly remarkable film. The actors playing the children are remarkable (especially Ciaran Fitzgerald as Ossie), while the adult cast are headed by Gabriel Byrne (as the former traveller father) and his then-wife Ellen Barkin (as the mystical gypsy Kathleen). Both are excellent, while the mystical thread of the story - against the odds - remains believable and leaves an ending of optimism and goodwill.

Mike Newell, the director, and Jim Sheridan, the writer, deserve high praise for this movie. I also need to mention the Celtic music which pushes the story along and does much to set the atmosphere. Superb.