Rating: 
Summary: Magic!
Review: An absolutely beautiful story building on legends from the west coast and the islands. Captures the magic of the legends better than anything has since my storytimes with an old West Kerry grand uncle.
Beautifully acted by an excellent cast despite the distraction of Judi Courtney's northern accent when the rest of the family have southern accents.
The Selkie is well played by Susan Lynch who has been in many other films including Ned Devine
Rating:
Summary: Nice, sweet movie
Review: If you are looking for an action flick...go elsewhere.
However, if you are looking for a nice, sweet movie you can watch with your whole family without getting embarrassed or offended this is the one for you.
This quiet tale is the story of a young girl who returns from the city to live with her grandparents in the country. She becomes involved in an adventure when she discovers that her brother who was believed lost at sea as an infant is actually still alive and being cared for by seals. (Hey, if you can buy that a man can crawl up walls using his spider powers, this really isn't that far-fetched.)
What ensues is a calm (although sometimes it may be intense for the younger ones) film that won't give you a headache or make your kids pick up any bad habits.
Rating:
Summary: A Classic for Character Building in Children
Review: Ranks up there with "E.T" and "Enemy Mine". Story has a lot to teach you if you are willing to leave the fast pace nature of your life for a couple hours. I first watched this as a 12-15 year old girl. Now I am a 31 year old mother of 3 boys. I still love this movie and so do my kids! A magical treat!
Rating:
Summary: Powerful Irish myth and magic.
Review: Set on the west coast of Ireland, overlooking the small island of Roan Inish, this John Sayles-directed film idealizes a family's connections to the sea and celebrates their sea-faring history and culture in the face of twentieth century "progress." Fiona, about ten, is sent to live with her grandparents there after her mother dies and her father is too grief-stricken to care for her. Some years earlier, in the same community, Fiona's baby brother Jamie had floated out to sea in his cradle, and her father and grandfather, unable to row fast enough to rescue him, had suffered that loss, too.
Fiona's participation in the seafaring life of her grandparents and cousin Eamon, exposes her to the legends and stories which have formed the backbone of her family culture. A relative tells her about "the dark ones," members of her family thought to be descended from a selkie. This mermaid-like creature, part-human and part seal, is said to have borne several children by one of Fiona's ancestors before finding the hidden sealskin from which she had originally emerged. Putting on her old skin, she had obeyed the call of the sea, returning to her oceanic life and leaving her family behind.
Fiona, believing that her brother Jamie is living with the seals on Roan Inish, explores the island with her cousin Eamon, searching for her roots and Jamie. Jeni Courtney as Fiona will capture your heart. A beautiful child with a sense of innocence, Courtney has an instinctive sense of how to play her role without being cute, respecting the myths she is portraying and throwing herself wholeheartedly into her role. Mick Lally and Eileen Colgan, as the grandparents, inextricably tied the island and its way of life, give a sense of gravitas to supernatural events.
The cinematography (Haskell Wexler) is stunning--both interior cottage scenes and exterior scenes of the island, sea, fog, seals, and storms. Almost any shot could be freeze-framed as a portrait or landscape, its composition preserving the emotion and the meaning. The music, primarily flute, fiddle, and bodhran drum, perfectly captures the changing moods and enhances the unearthly mythology. With less gifted actors and direction, the plot of this film would be treacly fare, but Sayles, who also wrote the screenplay and did the editing, has created a brilliant film, memorializing a way of life and appealing to adults as well as younger audiences. Mary Whipple
Rating: 
Summary: Okay
Review: I gave this 3 stars because I thought this movie was going to be better than it was. It was slow-moving and there wasn't much excitement. It is a rather strange movie.
Rating:
Summary: One you could never forget.
Review: I first saw this film when I was about ten years old. I'm eighteen now, and ever since then I could not get it out of my mind. I've tried telling all of my friends over the years that there's this wonderfuly amazing movie out there, though none of them seem to know of it. I will continue trying to spread the word about such a terrific movie, and I long to see this film again.
Rating: 
Summary: a must watch
Review: This is for the young and mostly for the young at heart. Wonderful,magical and so relaxing. A must to own. Beautiful scenary. If Ireland is in your blood you must see this one.
Rating:
Summary: Irish magic and fairy tales.....
Review: The story has the reality of progress (if that's what you call it) and a bit of the folklore entwined, like much in the storytelling of a Bard. Good for all ages.
Rating:
Summary: The Secret of the Irish Seas
Review: This small film is absolutely beautiful both in scope and message. Filmed on the West Coast of Ireland the screen is filled with lush greenery while the story of a quaint Irish family unfolds magically.
A young girl named Fiona, played by Jeni Courtney, is sent to live with her Grandparents after her mother dies. Fiona is sweet and innocent but she is also susceptible to myths and dreams. Her curiosity leads her to question events that have occurred in her family and she soon learns of many enchanting tales that have passed through her generations. She learns of the selkies, seals that live in the Irish seas and turn into humans, and she is convinced her missing brother has become one. Lyrical with Irish verse and filled with the wonder of fairytales Fiona discovers hidden truths.
This movie will appeal to children as well as adults who love the beauty found on foreign soil. The story unfolds nicely and the little girl who plays Fiona is very good in her role. It is relaxing and hopeful in scope with beautiful Irish music playing behind the scenes. Take a trip to the Irish shore and discover a new fairytale to retell the generations.
Rating:
Summary: Magical Irish Tale
Review: The Secret of Roan Innish is a movie unlike any other I have seen. Truly enchanting, haunting, moving, and inspiring, I recommend this movie to anyone who has not lost their sense of childlike wonder, and who remembers fairy tales read on a rainy day.Roan Innish means Seal Island in Celtic. The story is of a young, orphaned Irish girl determined to uncover her family's secret. Her brother has been missing, and is never mentioned by her traditional and loving grandparents, who are raising her. The intrepid girl uses her detective skills, perseverance, hard work, and all the resources at hand to uncover a mystery greater than she or her grandparents ever imagined. This is a movie for adults more than children, as the heavy Irish brouge is a bit difficult to translate at first, and the beautiful filmography may seem slow-moving to children. Amazing acting will transport you to a place you have never been and will never forget.
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