Noises Off Response
Anthony Keith
Movie Response #1: Noises Off
Noises Off was short of awesome, a few steps trailing great, but was an inarguable contender for a consistent very good; I would certainly watch it again and look for the subtle details I may have missed on first watch. Noises Off has a humoring charm, and is a film that has the capacity for you to grow more attached to it with every watch. I appreciated that its plot was atypical to my usual movie endeavors, even when I seek comedic relief.
My only negative critiques of Noises Off are of the audio quality and speed of scenes. Most lines are audible throughout the film, but there are moments where I found myself having to replay scenes or turn up the volume to distinguish lines. That did not significantly detract from the viewing experience. I suppose the issue is representative of the technological advancements offered in contemporary movie production compared to the 90s. Furthermore, there are scenes in the film that are very hectic. This is appropriate because it conveys the chaos of the scene and of a theatrical production very well, but it occasionally made it difficult to follow along! Although, it may have been the director’s method of immersing the viewer into the scene.
More positively, I applaud Noises Off for capturing theatrical production in a honestly dramatic way. Most impressively, the film itself felt like a theatrical production, with every scene presenting as a new act! The film reveals various introductory aspects of theatre but what’s most intriguing is that it explores internal and personal woes, considerations, and excitements of a stage director and his cast! It also reveals how improvisionational a play can become, for a myriad of reasons, despite its script. Knowing the original play intentions and watching it transform throughout the movie offers a perspective that the viewers of the play were ignorant too. It makes me wonder if the plays I have seen, or will see in the future, are being performed as they were intended, or in what ways they are being improvised. Noises off highlights the phrase, “the show must go on!”.
The cast/characters in Noises Off offer a hilarious performance. Although the film’s protagonist is Lloyd, he is not my favorite character, nor do I believe him to be the character that holds the film together. Brooke is my favorite character of the film, not merely because she spends most of it clad in her underwear, but because her character is most consistent. There are many changes in Noises Off, changes in the play and amongst the characters psychological and emotional states. Brooke’s character is introduced as a dim-witted beauty, and she remains such throughout the movie. Ironically, her dim-witted beauty characterization is arguably the most stable. Her character is a place of comfort amidst all the other changes occurring. The movie even ends with what was meant to be her last line, except she has once again lost her contact, a reference to the beginning of the movie that brings it all full circle.
Overall, Noises Off was playfully pleasant. It is a great movie to show how involved, and stressful, putting on a theatrical production can be, both for directors and cast. It was certainly a fitting first film for an Introduction to Theater course.