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Just saw Sound of My Voice, made by the same actor/writer behind Another Earth. This one actually almost worked for me. I was really with the film for the first half. Heck for the first 20 minutes or so I even thought to myself "This is the sort of thing Jacques Rivette might be making if he were a twentysomething in Los Angeles right now." Young people caught up in a mystery and possibly a conspiracy, but not a government or world saving problem so much as the mystery/conspiracy of everyday life. It couldn't quite sustain that intensity for the whole runtime. And there were some awkward choices, like a secret greeting ritual that just seems silly (to the point where it actually made people laugh) even when it's finally explained. Ultimately, the creative team is better at establishing mystery and building tension than in paying it off. This is one of those films where, by its own design and intentions, you kind of have to withhold almost all of your judgment until the very last minutes. And as in Another Earth, I'd say the writer(s) still haven't figured out how to end a film.

Spoiler

And I'd say that as a film about cults it ended up being less authoritative procedurally than I would have liked and a less compelling thriller overall than Martha Marcy May Marlene or even an oldie but goodie like The Rapture. Sound of My Voice struck me as highly watchable in spite of feeling thin in retrospect, once you know all the twists, like Sleeping Beauty another arty thriller I've seen recently.

Still I'm impressed with the performances, the imagination and ambition of the script (if not always the finished writing) and quality of the production for what must have been a miniscule budget. So as a talent spotter I'd say domino is right about Marling et. al having something real to offer, but perhaps for the wrong film. These folks haven't yet wowed me, but I look forward to The East.

Edit: Changed incorrect credit. Thanks knives.

Different director.

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.

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

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

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: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.

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.

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.

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.

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)

warren oates: They're in the midst of editing the East now but she seemed excited about having had a comparatively larger budget to work with and what I heard from her sounds promising (though I'm not exactly a fount of impartiality)

This is now a horror film, sez Fox's design department:

If it sells more copies, they could have a picture of a topless Marling holding an "UNRATED" banner over her breasts jauntily for all I care. I had issues with Another Earth, but it was a strong film overall and I look forward to seeing this one. I hope it does well sales-wise considering the microscopic theatrical release.

Wow. If they wanted to use hooded Brit, this poster seems much more evocative and representative. It's almost like they want unhappy consumers.

EDIT: But I also like mfunk's idea.

That cover does not remind me of a horror film - instead it reminds me of the time when I had a particularly bad cold as a kid and my parents dissolved some Vicks Vapor Rub in a bowl of hot water, then got me to put my head over the bowl with a towel over my head in order to keep steam in and breathe in deeply. Doing that can really help people to breathe easier during severe colds or bouts of flu!

The disc is out in the US next week, can't find any reviews yet. Amazon has it ridiculously overpriced.

Manicsounds, Amazon has apparently lowered the price to about 16.99 The disc is Blu-ray only, not dual format as it had first seemed to be. It looks good and has a few EPK-type supplements but not the commentary or making-of that the film deserves. Still, at a lower price point it's more worth it now if you've seen the film and enjoyed it.

I posted that over in the Amazon thread a few days ago.

Batmanglij's AFI thesis film starring Brit Marling, the Recordist, is up on iTunes, FYI.

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.

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.