THE SECRET OF KELLS (2010) (***1/2)

The Book of Kells is considered the pinnacle of the insular illumination style and its influence on the visuals of this film is in every corner of the frame. The elaborate calligraphy of the Irish national treasure might be simplified but it's woven into the buildings and environments. These remarkable visuals bring to life a fantasy version of the book's creation, filled with Irish lore. The visuals alone make this film captivating.

Brendan (Evan McGuire) is a young apprentice at the Abbey of Kells, where his uncle Cellach (Brendan Gleeson, IN BRUGES) is the abbot. Brendan is fascinated with the tales of the master illuminator Adian of Iona (Mick Lally, THE SECRET OF ROAN INISH) and the book he is creating. Brendan is inspired by the magic of the book, but his uncle believes he is a dreamer and needs to focus on the construction of a wall to protect the town from marauding Vikings. When Adian must flee the Vikings at Iona, he brings the book to Kells to work on it in secret. Brendan wants to help. Disobeying his uncle's orders to not venture into the forest, he goes in a search of gall nuts that can be used for ink. On his adventure, Brendan meets a fairy named Aisling (Christen Mooney) and his view of the world opens up.

The story doesn't focus on the religious purposes of the book, but centers on the ingenuity of the art. Brendan is inspired by it. It drives him to want to expand his horizons unlike his uncle who wants to wall himself off from the world, afraid of everything that lurks there. In the forest, he confronts the dark legends that reside there. This is where the film weaves in Celtic mythology with Crom Cruach, a dark deity.

Brendan is like many young heroes looking for adventure. His enthusiasm is infectious and that comes into conflict with his stern, cautious and unbending uncle. The portrayal of Cellach is nicely done. He is perfectly calm in his reactions to Brendan disobeying his orders. Gleeson's voice work is curt and disappointed. Looking from the young boy's point of view as the tall abbot looms over him, he comes off very intimidating.

Now back to the wonderful visuals. The color palette changes from earthy golds of the village to the cold blues of the abbot's tower to lush greens of the forest to the bold reds and whites whenever the Vikings appear. The angular character designs standout from the watercolor look of the beautiful backgrounds. It doesn't matter that the animation doesn't have much depth.

Directors Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey make this a calm treat in a world of overly caffeinated animation. Comedy is found in unexpected character posing and witty exaggeration. The pacing allows the story to build to its fiery ending instead of throwing pointless action at the audience every 10 minutes. The artistry hooked me and before too long I found myself really caring about the characters and their world. Now that I've seen the film it's less of a surprise why this little independent film garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.