The Sound of Silence

source: The Sound of Silence

I liked the premise a lot. I was hooked from the start and was just expecting more from the writer. A character arc that goes somewhere. A human story behind the whole thing. A parallel between Ellen's anxiety and Peter's own quirkiness or past. Surely, there must be a skeleton in his closet, some weird stuff that happened to him as a child that got him so obsessed with sound. Alas, none of that materialized. The whole story turned into one big "B-FLAT." As flat as Kansas towards the end. Or maybe it was a bit too dark and low-key for me. However, I must say the premise of the film really piqued my interest and caused me to think. I actually have get stress from my apartment and always knew there was something that was causing it. This film opened my eyes and made me very self conscious of "sound" around me. Overall, it's a good flick.

I would recommend seeing this. It's very interesting, kinda funny and weird, but pleasant. I know a lot of people who always feel exhausted by modern life. I could parallel lots of the sonic issues with those of modern day wifi and wireless radiation that is probably affecting us more than we know. Whatever, it was a fun and interesting flick and we really enjoyed it. Acting and editing and sound were great. I would have liked to see more about the romance and would love to hear from the other academics in the movie if they thought the main character was nuts or legit. I may have to watch this one again to gain more insight. It's solid.

Once in a while a movie comes along where you know you like it, yet you're hesitant to recommend it to other people. You think it's great, but you can see where others could find it hard to get absorbed in. This is one of those. The main character of this movie is an expert in sound, and he has his own novel theories on how sound in the environment molds human behavior. It's what this guy lives for. He's a deeply introverted guy who apparently does nothing else in his life. This movie is slow, quiet, cerebral, and beautifully understated. I could easily see typical viewers getting maybe 30 minutes in and bailing out, because as they might perceive it nothing much is happening. That's where they would be wrong. In fact, the sound expert character of this movie is about to undergo a series of events that will change his world forever. And yet, if you the viewer don't pay attention, you'll miss it. It's that subtle. I can relate to this guy. I have strong feelings about sound in the environment myself, although in a somewhat different way. Often when I go into a Home Depot store or such, I wear ear plugs. It's not the general hubbub of noise that bothers me. It's the pop music these places play on their sound systems. I hate the way these retailers assume that that's what I want. I just want to buy some hardware (or groceries, or clothing, or car parts, or whatever the retailer in question sells). I don't need to do my shopping in a disco! Bottom line, if you're hoping to find an exciting action movie or a broad laugh-out-loud comedy, then this movie isn't going to do it for you. But if you're cerebrally adventurous, if you have the sensitivity to appreciate a quietly great film, you'll be rewarded.

To the best of my knowledge, the protagonist of this movie sounds like a total crackpot but the whole movie is a mellifluous zen garden. It was so beautiful to watch and listen to.

Absolutely amazing movie, so many reviewers here just didn't get it. I'd suggest watching it again, beautiful script, acting, soundtrack, I loved it.

I liked this movie. It's different and unexpected, despite a bit slow. I liked the way it ends, graciously. Go watch it!

The storyline and topic intrigued me and knew going in that it would likely be something of a "cerebral" exercise. From the get-go I was really put off by the cinematography and lighting. It's a film with painfully muted colors and lighting, which I suppose in some throwaway lofty way, is meant to match the mood. But rather than keep you interested, it takes away from what patience you would want to lend to it. Then there's the mood and emotional quality of the film, which when added to the nebulous visuals, REALLY makes the whole thing drag. The acting too, goes right along with the mood and visuals, conspiring to bore you to sleep. Then the topic, though interesting is handled in such a shapeless and almost ultra-highbrow way that it just makes it all together not worth the time and effort this film demands of the viewer.

In our hurried and overwhelmed lives, this film is a much-needed exploration of the art of subtlety. The film speaks volumes in the tense moments following intentionally-awkward dialogue; it conveys social commentary without any mention. To be celebrated for its own distinction.

Not an action movie (pun intended), but a slowburning movie. Mysterious and mesmerizing story. Best served in a quiet and dark room, because this movies' photography and sound is as delicate as can be, with many scenes so dark, that it is barely visible what is happening, only further adding to the mesmerizing effect though... The story: Peter Sarsgard plays an analyst of sounds, who has got a super sensitive ear and who helps people "tune" their homes, by removing certain dissonant sounds, until that day he isnt able to help one particular woman, played by Rashida Jones. What is going on inside Rashida Jones' house? The good: the acting is great. The sound effects are mesmerizing. The story (terrific climax at the end) is wonderfully delicate, mysterious and (again!) mesmerizing. Any bad? It's quite a dark and moody slowburning movie, almost depressing in nature, therefore not suited for the impatient or happy go lucky. However this movie is highly recommended for the art house movie fans of subtle and dark, mysterious stories, provided one darkens it's room before watching it, because of the very dark lighting techniques one often cant see very well what is happening on screen. This movie needs to be heard as much as it needs to be seen. Terrific soundtrack. Using headphones quite effectively enhanced the claustrophobic, mysterious effect this movie had on me! End note: if you liked this movies theme and spirit, you must try out the brilliant classic movie "The Conversation", directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It has got an almost similar theme, but it is much more intense and suspenseful...