pretty good show... was more like one of the recent Korean police procedurals than most Western films...

ambigious, rambling, unresolved, offbeat .. the other reviewers got it right. absolutely agree that it has an amazing open sequence - i see many people wandering around with xxxx and wonder about their safety, you'll see what i mean. the main actor ... (read more) ambigious, rambling, unresolved, offbeat .. the other reviewers got it right. absolutely agree that it has an amazing open sequence - i see many people wandering around with xxxx and wonder about their safety, you'll see what i mean. the main actor has NAILED the cop walk, talk, mannerisms, attitude, even the way he says his name sounds like the surname is in capital letters. not exactly entertaining or particulary enlightening, but VERY interesting.

I really loved this movie. It was interesting enjoyable and emotional at times. Great acting from all the cast. I would recommend this one to watch.

It started off a little slow and meandered a bit before it got into the meat of the story, but once it gets going it's hard to stop watching. It shows you that a cops job isn't as exciting as the Hollywood portray them to be and how dealing with the... (read more) It started off a little slow and meandered a bit before it got into the meat of the story, but once it gets going it's hard to stop watching. It shows you that a cops job isn't as exciting as the Hollywood portray them to be and how dealing with the seedier elements of society isn't as black and white as some would like you to think.

Interesting. I actually got it by mistake from the library (they gave it to Dean when he picked up my holds, and he had no idea it wasn't ours.) The library wasn't open, so I decided to watch it. It certainly wasn't a waste of time. A main charac... (read more) Interesting. I actually got it by mistake from the library (they gave it to Dean when he picked up my holds, and he had no idea it wasn't ours.) The library wasn't open, so I decided to watch it. It certainly wasn't a waste of time. A main character suffers from tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and at times I thought *I* had tinnitus because of the sound effect! But the effect was enough to get through just how annoying it would be. Given the choice again, I'd probably watch it. I don't think I'd watch it for a second time though.

A movie that combines great visuals with an off-beat storytelling technique. The plot is a bit thin and unresolved, but takes a viewer to a darker side of Melbourne than what its residents are used to seeing.

Not bad but nothing of greatness. Brendan was great but doesn't really venture far from his Love My Way character. Too many sub storylines that don't connect or get closed off make the movie a little hard to watch. Plus I kinda picked the villan from... (read more) Not bad but nothing of greatness. Brendan was great but doesn't really venture far from his Love My Way character. Too many sub storylines that don't connect or get closed off make the movie a little hard to watch. Plus I kinda picked the villan from the minute he returned to the screen. Entertaing to view.

Great to see an Aussie movie that's about normal urban life (sort of) as opposed to movies that try so hard to be Australian. Brendan Cowell was brilliant as was Maia Thomas. Didn't know where the film was going and the ending was ambiguous. Yeah,... (read more) Great to see an Aussie movie that's about normal urban life (sort of) as opposed to movies that try so hard to be Australian. Brendan Cowell was brilliant as was Maia Thomas. Didn't know where the film was going and the ending was ambiguous. Yeah, quite good.

The most accomplished Australian film I have seen since 'Lantana'.

Extremely well executed by Matthew Saville, stylish and erudite. Cowell provides an intense performance, articulating a complex character who is at once both likable and undeserving ... (read more) The most accomplished Australian film I have seen since 'Lantana'.

Extremely well executed by Matthew Saville, stylish and erudite. Cowell provides an intense performance, articulating a complex character who is at once both likable and undeserving of our sympathies. The ending may bother some who demand closure and a three act narrative structure, however this elusiveness is what makes Noise linger in the memory.

Noise brings much more to the table than first meets the eye. This little-seen Australian beaut from writer/director Matthew Saville (who has mostly worked on Australian TV until now) packs a punch. God bless you Sundance, for bringing Noise to our a... (read more) Noise brings much more to the table than first meets the eye. This little-seen Australian beaut from writer/director Matthew Saville (who has mostly worked on Australian TV until now) packs a punch. God bless you Sundance, for bringing Noise to our attention.

The main character Graham McGahan (Brendan Cowell) has tinnitus, which is a malfunction of the ear causing a constant high-pitch ringing, and dizzy spells. He trys to get time off work (fearing he has cancer) but has no such luck. For a police officer, the holidays are busy times. Not to mention that a string of murders has shaken his little town up. He’s then stationed in a trailer, manned twenty four hours a day, where locals can come and offer any relevant information about the crimes. Focus also centers around the one eye-witness to the murders, Lavina (Maia Thomas). The killer let her escape, but knows her name, and has threatened the police to finish her off.

The cast is made up mostly of relatively unknowns. But you wouldn’t be able to guess by the skill of the cast. Despite never having been in a film before, Thomas will drop your jaw with her emotionally powerful performance. You believe her, not matter what she does. Everyone else performs amazingly as well, this is truly a bitchin' cast.

The title, it turns out, has multiple meanings. The protagonist, as mentioned before, has tinnitus, when he hears a gunshot, it sounds to him, like a nuclear explosion. Director Saville worked closely with sound designer Emma Bortignon and composer Bryony Marks to create a soundscape almost more intricate than the plot (while not beating the novelty of it to death). Sounds are constantly swirling around the viewer. It’s accentuated with normal sounds: slurping coffee, smoking cigarettes, clicking jaws, unanswered telephones - the prosaic effects of day-to-day life (making me glad I watched this wearing noise-cancellation headphones). Sometimes it’s not the noise that’s emphasized, but the lack thereof. For the length of the film, Saville attacks every sense he can every way he knows how, and it’s a thrilling, interesting ride.

You’d think with all this focus on the auditory aspects, Seville might have let other important factors slide. But even at the greatest climax of the film, the emphasis never leaves the characters and their interactions. The plot never suffers, and despite the sensational subject matter, Seville doesn’t stoop to exploitation and it is an extremely satisfying experience to watch. Rent this.