Brendan: “You can’t learn everything in books.” Aidan: “I think I read that once.”

A friend recommended I watch the Secret of Kells. It was an illuminating experience, so I pass the recommendation along to you.

It is a movie about books, which is an easy sell for the subset of movie lovers who are also book lovers. It’s a movie about the Great Book, which is an easy sell for “people of the book.”

The artistic style is unlike anything I’ve seen – blocky and geometric in form but lustrous and sumptuous in color. There is a justification for that style… but I won’t spoil the surprise.

Here’s the synopsis of the film from IMDB: Young Brendan lives in the Abbey of Kells, a remote medieval outpost under siege from raiding barbarians. One day a celebrated master illuminator arrives from foreign lands carrying an ancient but unfinished book, brimming with secret wisdom and powers. To help complete the magical book, Brendan has to overcome his deepest fears on a dangerous quest that takes him into the enchanted forest, where mythical creatures hide. It is here that he meets the fairy Aisling, a mysterious young wolf-girl, who helps him along the way. But with the barbarians closing in, will Brendan’s determination and artistic vision illuminate the darkness and show that enlightenment is the best fortification against evil?

You can watch Secret of Kells here.