Great World of Sound

Great World of Sound (2007)

I've suddenly grown tired of Indie films like this. And there are a lot of them. So this is a bad vibes review. Sorry.

Here's what I mean. There is a clever plot here, as usual, and some great low key acting, and the most drab and functional photography and editing. That's understandable (if not forgivable--good photography is free, but that's another story).

But what's with the awkward nerdy reclusive oddball main characters. They're lovable, and I suppose they are meant to be a counterpart to the glitz of Hollywood's stars. But they are starting to imitate themselves. That is, I think Indie producers and directors and eventually actors are playing, on purpose, Indie parts, with an Indie style. It's lovable, but it's worn thin.

So here we are, with a cute and slightly clever plot about the well known scam of small time record companies (quote unquote) who suck the millions of aspiring musicians into spending money on CDs that will never get airplay. I've seen it happen to a few people, over time, and there have even been dangles of fame, a has been musician wandering through the studio at the same time, that kind of thing. Who doesn't have a thousand dollars once in a lifetime for a dream that might not come true? Why not die knowing you wasted a little money for that good intention?

And so these two very nice, somewhat naive men fall into the racket. They are victims themselves, and they create a trail of victims behind them. It's really charming and warm and maddening in all the right proportions. It's a pretty good story.

But it's very mediocre, too, on purpose. It doesn't strive for greatness in the old sense of the "art of the cinema," as Hitchcock would say. This is about modest means, but also modest goals. And so the goals get met, and we have a modest movie. Enjoyable, yes. Amazing, no. Not even a little.

And for me, I'd rather have a failed attempt at amazing than a successful stab at pretty darned good. Go ahead, have some fun watching it, and forgive me.

I don't normally review a film before I finish it - and this one runs almost two hours - but I feel compelled to do so here. Why?

I don't know, exactly, and you probably won't either. "Great World of Sound" is one of those films that captures the imagination without really explaining itself. That, in my humble opinion, is the absolute ESSENCE of art.

It's not a guy film but it's not a chick flick, either. Still, I don't know exactly what it is, except interesting. Very interesting.

The music and performers seem genuine - so, if they're not actually amateur talent, then they are topnotch actors and actresses. So believable!

I think, though, the best and most attractive thing about this hidden gem of a film is the chemistry between the main players -Pat Healy as Martin and Kene Holiday as Clarence - they really engage one another and the audience such that you wish you were on their roadtrip, too! I love characters that can do that!

Of course, John Baker (as Shank) and Robert Longstreet (as Layton) set the mood for them. Both are unknown to me, but I think this cast could do great things - I know Mr. Holiday already has done.

When you watch this film, pay attention. Then write to let me know what you think it is that makes this movie so engrossing!

There's a great, not just good, movie that could be made from the writer's concept, but it's not this movie. It plods along, one character is underwritten and the other one is over the top. So much of the movie is spent on auditions that it feels padded. Or like an indie version of American Idol. Tricia Paoluccio almost single-handedly brings the movie to life but it's too little too late, and her character is used to undermine the protagonist's supposed awakening.

The film with its excellent leads puts its finger on the pulse of the American dream. The subject is the selling of success to would be musicians, but it reflects all aspects of the truly American confidence game. Pat Healy as Martin and Kene Holliday as Clarence are hired as a team to scout for undiscovered talent for an independent recording label, which is interested in the next big thing. Since "skin in the game" is a mark of seriousness, then the aspiring musicians should be willing to put up some cash to hedge the risks of the recording company: a perfectly reasonable request. The two leads play off each other to create a metaphor of the American dichotomy: liberal secular humanism vs. conservative unbridled capitalism. Certainly a film worth seeing.

This, I thought, was a satire. It's not...What it is a story about con men who dupe some down on their luck types to steal from those who dare to dream. As such it quite depressing, but somehow it becomes entertainment as well. This fact is due to two actor's excellent performances which bring characters Martin and Clarence to life. Pat Healy and Kene Holiday make this movie and I will, from now on, always know who these guys are. Check them out here and you'll likely be instant fans too. This movie isn't fast paced or wonderfully enjoyable, but is seems real with the right amount of entertainment value to keep you interested. I give it a 7 and a recommendation as such.