There's drama and intrigue here when an Irish fisherman hauls up a young woman in his net - is she some sort of mythical creature or is there a more rational explanation? Trawlerman Syracuse (Colin Farrell) looks understandably perplexed at first, but is kind enough to give the mysterious Ondine (Polish actress Alicja Bachleda-Curus, the mother of Farrell's son Henry) a place to stay. Meanwhile, Syracuse's sickly daughter Annie (Alison Barry, just the right side of precocious) thinks the new arrival is a "selkie" - a seal-woman who's forsaken the ocean. Writer/director Neil Jordan takes his time in unravelling this tall tale, benefiting from atmospheric West Cork locations and a warm-hearted turn from Farrell that's reminiscent of his excellent work in The New World. However, when the moment eventually arrives to spill the story's secrets, we've almost lost interest, proof that the film simply hasn't much grip on the imagination. For all the effort expended, Jordan never really entices us into believing the magic. It looks classy, but it just doesn't come off.

On the coast of Cork, Syracuse is a divorced fisherman who has stopped drinking. His precocious daughter Annie has failing kidneys. One day, he finds a nearly-drowned young woman in his net; she calls herself Ondine and wants no one to see her. He puts her up in an isolated cottage that was his mother's. Annie discovers Ondine's presence and believes she is a selkie, a seal that turns human while on land. Syracuse is afraid to hope again.