Opening in select theaters on March 9th is Magnolia Pictures’ latest release, Sound of Noise, a crazy Swedish film which is both written and directed by Ola Simonsson and Johannes Stjärne Nilsson.
Sound of Noise is a music based crime comedy that has two main plots that dominate its 102 minute duration. The film is about these two renegade drummers, Sanna (Sanna Persson) and Magnus (Magnus Börjeson) who recruit four others to the group and use the city, and everything that comprises it, as their musical instruments. They believe that today’s music is crap and that it’s time to take their musical shenanigans up a notch and deliver their masterpiece on an epic scale without any concern for the possible consequences. On the flip side, there is a tone deaf anti-terrorism cop, named Amadeus (Bengt Nilsson) who was born into a legendary musical family and whose goal is to silence the music and relentlessly pursue these “musical anarchists.”
Where does one start with a film like Sound of Noise? I’ve never seen anything quite like it and though the trailer and the fact that it’s a Fantastic Fest Audience Award winner raised my curiosity, that had barely prepared me for the eccentric and chaotic musical ride that I was about to go on.
Much like the master composition that these drummers have laid out for themselves, Sound of Noise itself is a work of art and a composition as well. The film has five movements: the first is the introduction, setting the stage for what’s to come. The next three movements are the first three hilariously titled musical numbers that the drummers perform for us and the city. Lastly, the finale, or fourth movement of the drummers’ masterpiece, is a grand number showcasing the size, scope and imagination of not only the film’s performers but the writers as well. It’s an edgy, fast paced, and comedic flick that will blow your mind if you’re able to go into the feature with it wide open.
Just to give you an idea of how quirky, carefree and jubilant this film is I’ll throw out a few of my favorite moments and if any of them make you smile stupidly then you definitely have to watch it. First off, the name of their first movement is titled “Doctor Doctor Give Me Gas in My Ass” in which they drug a hospitalized celebrity and use his stomach as a rhythm drum along with all the machines in the operating room. Another part I loved was when the four recruited drummers meet for the first time and have a three hour drum battle for a ridiculous reason I’d rather not spoil. Each of these drummers also have pretty entertaining backstories, one of which is actually connected to the pissed off cop. Lastly, when the band goes into the bank dressed as robbers they yell something like “nobody move, we’re here for the gig” and everyone nervously sits down even though the musicians aren’t actually threatening them in any way.
My only reservation with the film is the slight romance that develops between the cop and Sanna, the leader of the drummers. It gets a little distracting and slows down the pace of the film but it isn’t painful enough to take away from your overall enjoyment. In fact, by the end of the film, the romance seems to pay off and does so in a way that doesn’t feel cliché, which made me very happy.
I’d like to be so bold and say that this picture could be nominated for best sound editing at next year’s Oscars and could possibly even hold itself up for score. It’s sheer uniqueness and unorthodox blend of noises makes it one of the more fascinating music based films of the year. It also has the added bonus of being a comedic crime caper as well.
If you ask me, Sound of Noise is a really ambitious film that couldn’t have been executed better. It teeters off slightly near the end but when the finale comes it makes sure to blow you away with just its ‘cool’ factor alone. The acting was great, the script and musical compositions were brilliant, and the way the two plot lines fuse is completely satisfying.
Rating: A clever and unique film that music lovers will revel in (7.5/10)
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