Although you might be forgiven for thinking that it would be difficult to come up with something completely new in the police thriller, serial killer genre, this offbeat Australian movie does just that.
The story has a number of strands. Set at Christmas, a uniformed policeman, Constable Graham McGahan (Brendan Cowell) is posted to the ironically named Sunshine, a community where there has been a murder and a mass shooting on a train. His beat is a police caravan, which he mans by himself at night, near the scene of the crimes.
He meets a number of people who seem drawn to his lonely outpost, and although some are dangerous, he doesn't seem to mind the company. McGahan talks late into the night, and shares his philosophies about living, dying, and the meaning of heaven and hell. It is a personal philosophy, and its importance becomes apparent in the movie's final scene.
A woman, Lavinia Smart (Maia Thomas) who survived the killings, now fears that the killer will come after her. Diabetic and scared, we feel her anguish. Although the murderer is seen early on, a number of the characters look similar, especially at night, adding to the sense of unease.
Early in the movie McGahan has an accident, and for the rest of the movie suffers from increasing tinnitus– ringing in the ears – fortunately, the condition is cured at a critical moment.
McGahan seems a diffident sort of policeman, a little scruffy with a slightly abrasive personality. He lives with a policewoman, and in one scene they share some recreational grass together. He gives the impression that he is not really on an upwardly mobile career path. His main concern seems to be the unfairness he feels at not receiving sick leave, although he more than fulfills his duty before the end.
Melbourne makes an interesting location. Set out in a grid, the city offers great perspectives down long flat streets especially at night. However, there are no mindless car chases down those streets, and the one shootout in the film demonstrates how your life can depend on your ability to reload a weapon with trembling hands.
The tension just keeps building in this unusual movie. The ingredients are similar to many films of the genre but it's the way they are mixed together that makes "Noise" different.
The story has a number of strands. Set at Christmas, a uniformed policeman, Constable Graham McGahan (Brendan Cowell) is posted to the ironically named Sunshine, a community where there has been a murder and a mass shooting on a train. His beat is a police caravan, which he mans by himself at night, near the scene of the crimes.
He meets a number of people who seem drawn to his lonely outpost, and although some are dangerous, he doesn't seem to mind the company. McGahan talks late into the night, and shares his philosophies about living, dying, and the meaning of heaven and hell. It is a personal philosophy, and its importance becomes apparent in the movie's final scene.
A woman, Lavinia Smart (Maia Thomas) who survived the killings, now fears that the killer will come after her. Diabetic and scared, we feel her anguish. Although the murderer is seen early on, a number of the characters look similar, especially at night, adding to the sense of unease.
Early in the movie McGahan has an accident, and for the rest of the movie suffers from increasing tinnitus– ringing in the ears – fortunately, the condition is cured at a critical moment.
McGahan seems a diffident sort of policeman, a little scruffy with a slightly abrasive personality. He lives with a policewoman, and in one scene they share some recreational grass together. He gives the impression that he is not really on an upwardly mobile career path. His main concern seems to be the unfairness he feels at not receiving sick leave, although he more than fulfills his duty before the end.
Melbourne makes an interesting location. Set out in a grid, the city offers great perspectives down long flat streets especially at night. However, there are no mindless car chases down those streets, and the one shootout in the film demonstrates how your life can depend on your ability to reload a weapon with trembling hands.
The tension just keeps building in this unusual movie. The ingredients are similar to many films of the genre but it's the way they are mixed together that makes "Noise" different.