Review of Sound of My Voice (2011) by Mike L — 23 Apr 2016

Question that I ponder is if she is getting paid in full, she always seems to forget writing the third act. But she sure knows how to leave it dandling. I generally don't like open ended abrupt endings, but this is as best as it can get. Her saga of 'What if' continues where she left in 'Another Earth' bringing in the subtlety, no deviations allowed screenplay and absolutely no budget.

Peter (Christopher Denham) is a journalist cum elementary school teacher on a mission to expose a cult along with his girlfriend Lorna (Nicole Vicius). They infiltrate the cult whose process is no different than many we have seen or heard in media - secretive, persuasive and weird. It is headed by one Maggie (Brit Marling) who claims to be from the year 2054, she is charismatic, intelligent and her answers and speeches leaves you on the border whether to believe or not. Until one day she asks Peter to bring an 8 year old girl secretively to her.

The number of questions that are raised and left unanswered in this movie would not have happened in my worst test and I was a mediocre student. Throughout it is compelling, thrilling and thought provoking. Technical departments are only as amateurish as an indie movie aspire to be while artistically and intellectually it is on par if not better than any studio production. The background is mostly quiet not even traffic sounds and whenever they have decided to put some music it is tender, soothing and gelled perfectly.

I will never take time travel as science fiction but mostly as a fantasy. But the simple way of how we perceive someone claiming to be from the future is brilliantly depicted by the lead couple and the small group of others who joins the cult. The screenplay left me exhilaratingly curious to know how it all ends even after knowing what Brit Marling has done in her previous work.

Compelling, intriguing, thought provoking and perfectly open ended.