The Secret of Kells (2009)

This small, but perfectly formed, piece of animation first came to light when it appeared on the nominations of Best Animated Film at last years Oscars, and after checking it out it is very easy to see why. Told in a gorgeous and unique style the film tells the story of the fabled Book of Kells, as painstakingly written out by the scribes and scholars of a small medieval outpost. The film follows Brendan (ably voiced by Evan McGuire) an inquisitive boy who harbours desires to explore outside of the large fortified walls his Uncle is building around the town, to ward of impending Viking attacks. Though dealing with what could be rather dry material, the film does a great job of being thoroughly entertaining, but also thoughtful. As most of the outpost prepares for the upcoming battles Brendan instead starts being taught in the ways of the scholars, and he also manages to befriend a woodland spirit outside the compound, in some of the films most inventive and enjoyable scenes.
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It's hard to get much further into this without once again focusing on the films remarkable visual style. Using the real-life Book of Kells as an inspiration the has an extremely stylised and colourful palette, full of geometric shapes and intertwined patterns. The colours seem to blend and pop as well, if you have a blu-ray player then I urge you to check it out as the cleanness of the lines and detail really come to life. This style then informs the film and truly make it unlike any other modern animated film. It fits the story as well, as it is a small quiet film that plays well to children, but also deals with some heady issues. It is about as far from the loud, wacky CGI cartoons of recent years as you can get, and I appreciated it for that.
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The film is short, but doesn't feel rushed. It manages to introduce a host of interesting characters and tell a fun tale, and some of the decisions made late on surprised me and subverted my expectations, which is always a good thing. Another things the film does well is make good use of the abstraction of animation, the Viking enemy for example is never mentioned by name and shown as silhouetted ominous figures that are genuinely imposing and threatening. There is a palpable sense of danger that is rare in animated films, and this is because of the films more adult approach to the emotional sides of the story, something that has helped it linger in the mind in the days since I saw it. 
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I don't know if the film is one that I will ever revisit, but I found it a surprisingly enjoyable and unique experience and given the hegemony of most animated films these days, that is definitely something to be applauded.