That's awesome and it speaks to the conversation that had been going on in the Tiny Furniture thread. Determined creative people will generally find a way to make their films. I don't suppose you've seen a sneak of The East?domino harvey wrote:Also, funny story about the low budget filmmaking of her films: Brit told me that when they were editing, they were so broke that they'd go to the Apple Store, buy a computer, install the film editing software, then return the computer within the timeframe for returns, go to another Apple Store and do the same thing over and over (and then they ran out of Apple Stores and had to start doing big box retailers) until it was done and now they're blackballed from all LA Apple Stores
I had pretty much the same reaction, especially about what an exciting talent Marling is; she's as exciting as any new talent that I can think of off the top of my head. But I was impressed that it felt more ambitious than Another Earth to me, featuring a more intricate narrative and occurring on more ambiguous psychological terrain. I thought that all things considered, Another Earth is a more successful film, but Sound of My Voice still struck me as a creative step forward.domino harvey wrote:Sound of My Voice is very good indeed. It's unfair to compare it to Another Earth, if only because its ambitions are lower, but it proves without a doubt that Brit Marling is a godsend to modern cinema and we're fortunate to have her. Marling commands the screen here, so confident, so sure, so perfect for the role of a charismatic cult leader who may or may not be from the future. It's a stylish puzzle film that gives you the answers and lets you decide how satisfying they are, and I must admit puzzlement at the earlier complaint about the ending-- while not of the same gut-punch level of Another Earth, this one still features a similarly stunning epiphany that adds a level of discourse above where the film appeared to be heading.
Well, to be fair, Cahill did film a little of Sound of My Voice, but all three are longtime friends and it isn't too unusual that they'd share a similar aesthetic-- plus the writing process for the films no doubt influenced their complimentary nature (Marling lived with both directors and split her time daily between the two scripts). Brit said she wasn't interested in directing but the collaborative process is a big buy-in for her personal investment (though Cahill's got an upcoming "solo" film she's planning to play in without co-writing, so maybe it's just a comfort situation, working with those who know her and recognize her strengths)Brian C wrote:Which actually raises a question for me - even though the two films have different directors, how much of a hand did Marling have in the final product? The two films are so similar stylistically that the link would seem to go beyond having the same co-writer. From domino's story, it sounds like Marling was very much involved in the editing process, which would explain a lot. But I find myself wondering if she isn't an uncredited co-director on both films, also.
Or perhaps I'm just keying in on superficial similarities.
It's about what you'd expect from that summary, rough around the edges like the student film it is, complete with a Twilight Zone-ish twist that you figure out a couple minutes before it happens. Marling's still feeling her way around (this was filmed in 2006) and has one pretty mortifying scene in which she's called upon to smear around her own shit. She's come a long way! Still, for a couple bucks, it's an interesting footnote for these two.A chance encounter leads Charlie Hall, a young songwriter, to Avid Dauphin, an old woman obsessed with alien conspiracies. Their relationship takes an unforeseen turn when Avid claims that Carlie has all the markings of a Recordist: an alien race sent to Earth to record pivotal events in human history.
