quietearth [Celluloid 06.06.12] thriller drama



No more ratings!

The red pill, or the blue?

Peter (Christopher Denham) and his girlfriend Lorna (Nicole Vicius) infiltrate a cult in an attempt to expose them. They're blindfolded and transported to the leaders compound weekly for their "lessons." They've already gone through extensive screening before being allowed into the inner sanctum where the traveler, the herald, awaits. And they each have their own piece of emotional trauma which fits into the leader/follower paradigm nicely. Is Peter falling for it? Is Lorna? Is this need for secrecy for security or just a means to keep the sheep in their pen?

Sound of My Voice ostensibly questions the need each of us has to fill the void inside, but it's really a narrative which explores ambiguity from multiple facets. Am I making the right choice? Did he fake that? Is this really going to happen? Is this any different than Christianity? Is this real? The litany of uncertainty's intimated may be extensively finite, but the philosophical questions raised are endless. The latter is the films strong point.



How many times have you read the same words over and over? "To fill the void?" Like the last sentence, repetition can be sickening, especially when waxing philosophic. How many times have you heard religion was manufactured as a means of control? Thanks for the trite and ignorant observation kid. Brit Marling's second written feature suffers from some of these same intellectual cliches.

This doesn't mean the film has no redeeming qualities. It's rarely predictable and the narrative framework of doubt is subtly brilliant. However, the rare moments of dimestore psychology and banal dialogue almost destroy it. Give it a watch but don't expect anything profound like Marling's first: Another Earth.

On a side note, there's a few things we all missed during the first viewing that might modify the storyline. I wonder if the story will expand with a second viewing?

You might also like

Leave a comment

Your Comment