Review of Sound of Noise (2010) by Eric B — 26 Aug 2012

Essentially, "Sound of Noise" is an average movie blessed with a good gimmick. This Swedish comedy follows two terrorist musicians who recruit four oddball drummers to help perform a city-wide, avant-garde "piece." The renegade composition spans four movements, each set at a different location (the first is an operating room), as the trespassing ensemble exploits onsite tools to craft complex, percussive grooves. In other words, this film is a must-see for "Stomp" fans.

The group is pursued by the ironically named Amadeus (Bengt Nilsson), a mousy, insecure detective whose life just happens to have a major musical issue -- his genius brother is a world-renowned conductor, while he himself is frustratingly tone-deaf. His handicap is depicted in a strange, surreal way -- apparently, whenever a neighborhood item is incorporated into the percussion troupe's mischief, he permanently loses the ability to hear it. This storytelling element fails to lead anywhere and isn't as evocative as the filmmakers hope. Another problem is that the pivotal guerrilla performances grow larger and larger in scope yet become less and less interesting as music.

If you can't spare the 102 minutes, just look up the musical scenes on YouTube. You won't be missing much.