Noise-Movie Review 05/24/2010
Posted by Films to consider in Australian, Movies, Thriller.trackback
Noise (Australian) 2007
Among other awards and nominations:
Winner, Best Film; Best Director; Best Actor; Best Cinematography; Best Editing, Australian Film Critics Circle
Nominated, Best Film; Best Director; Best Actor; Best Adapted Screenplay; Best Cinematography Best Editing, Australian Film Institute (Australian Oscars)
Official Selection, Sundance Film Festival; Newport Beach Film Festival; Seattle International Film Festival
From Film Movement
Directed by Matthew Saville
Starring Brendan Cowell, Nicholas Bell, Luke Elliot, and Maia Thomas
The film opens with a horrific scene on a subway, where a mass killing has taken place. The only witness is a young woman, Lavinia (Thomas), known to the killer by name but left unharmed as he escapes. As police try to find him, another killing takes place, this time of a young woman, in her own neighborhood.
Detective Graham McGahan (Cowell), who is afflicted with worsening tinnitus, is given overnight desk duty consisting of manning a van in the woman’s neighborhood where neighbors can drop in with any information they think would be helpful. When the detective’s disability causes him to neglect his duty, the stage is set for the killer to make himself known.
The detective’s plight almost becomes more intriguing than the search for a killer. I found the cinematography an important and effective element in the building of suspense; some scenes were downright spooky. Lavinia, trying to live a normal life knowing that the killer knows who she is, bravely confronts the driver of a car following her down a dark and deserted street.
The dialogue was occasionally too fast for me to catch (sorry, Aussies), so I resorted to closed captions (there are no subtitles). I did learn some new cusswords (thanks, Aussies!).
Brendan Cowell does a great job as Detective McGahan. I also thought Maia Thomas was especially impressive as Lavinia.
109 min. Unrated. Bloody violence.
FILMS TO CONSIDER 
I love to learn how to cuss in foriegn languages!