Other Voices (2000) User Reviews

Special film with obvious flaws, maybe on purpose ?

[walking_bread · 5/10 · 11 March 2007]

Although the acting performances and script are genuinely eccentric and fun, the inconclusiveness of the marriage game, and the consequential lack of a closure prevent Other Voices from reaching the masses.

Fundamentally, OV may have worked better as a comedy. Quite frankly, the character of Campbell Scott, as the lead's friend and accountant, is comedic from start to finish. Rob Morrow makes a Tourette's inflicted stock trader a blast to watch. Not to mention the self-absorbed psychiatrist and over-the-top marriage-fixer and his tough-guy assistant.

With the timing being the turn of the century, when black or dark comedies ruled Hollywood, maybe OV's creators used a twisted-drama format to preview the impact of an individual-obsessed society.

Are we? And, can this be answered by the story of a "keep the relationship fresh" marriage game that went too far and adversely-involved the couples friends and family.

The fact that the couple never discussed children cannot be dismissed. Or, is not considering children the self-obsessiveness that the creators wished us to know. Wish we could ask the writers and producers.

Good, Unique Movie (with Parts Far Exceding the Whole)

[T40T · 4 October 2001]

This was one of the two or three movies I really liked at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival (another being the very funny "The Tao of Steve").

I actually can't remember that much about the plot, etc, but there were a few extremely clever, fabulous things that I haven't forgotten.

I can't really describe them effectively, because they just have to be seen to have the right effect.

One example:

There's a scene in which Jeff (Rob Morrow) takes John (Campbell Scott) and out to lunch at the latest hot restaurant in New York.

This is no ordinary restaurant.

It is an outdoor restaurant located on the tiny sliver of land between 5th and 23rd in New York right in front of the great Flat Iron Building.

It's an incredibly busy intersection.

The restaurant is nothing more than white linen-covered tables and velvet ropes which make up the "walls."

While diners eat gourmet food and try to have intimate conversations, they have to scream at each other because their voices are constantly drowned out by passing loud cars and buses.

When one of the characters decides to leave, he just raises his hand while sitting at the table and flags down a cab.

This is such an outlandish, wonderful concept, and the scene really encapsulates the New York mindset (at least before September 11, 2001).

New York is (maybe still) so consumed with the newest and the hippest and everyone wants to jump on the latest thing before anyone else, leading to more and more outlandish "it" places and things.

I have no idea how the makers of this small film ever got permission to pull this stunt off.

Just think of the imagination needed to come up with this idea, and to actually be able to make it happen, cheaply and without digital gimmickry, no less.

This is just a few minutes of the movie, but the imagination behind this scene permeates much of the rest of the film as well.

There's another scene which involves a helicopter on the roof of a skyscraper that's interesting, too.

What's even greater about these moments is that they are presented completely matter-of-factly.

Another movie or director with set pieces like that, and I can't think of many, might have a "aren't we clever?" way about them.

Not this one.

Some other scenes made me laugh at out loud, which is something maybe I shouldn't be proud to admit.

The Jeff character has Tourette's Syndrome, and maybe I should feel embarrassed that some of his outbursts cracked me up.

I can't imagine how difficult it would be to actually have this problem, not knowing when and if you might next loose control and what you'd do could be devastating.

However, I might be able to justify my laughter in this case.

If Jeff didn't have Tourette's he would probably still be a not so pleasant guy. It may also be possible to argue that he is at least partially responsible for his difficulties, since he's not always responsibly taking his medication.

Also, it is just a movie, so you are given some permission to laugh inappropriately on occasion. Our dormant sophomoric selves feel more comfortable making themselves known, and some of the laughter comes from knowing we probably shouldn't be laughing at all. For a perfect example, think of much of "There's Something About Mary."

Maybe if you're laughing at an actor in a movie, and not in real life at someone who actually has impairment, it might not be the worst thing in the world.

I am bewildered

[MBunge · 4/10 · 5 May 2011]

What the hell did I just watch? Seriously, what the hell did I just watch? I'm trying to come up with a way to describe this movie and the only thing I've got is…what the hell did I just watch?

Phil and Anna (David Aaron Baker and Mary McCormack) are a New York City couple living inside a meat locker of a marriage. They barely even acknowledge each other's presence and as the movie begins, we find out that Phil and Anna are cheating on each other. Anna tells her incompetent therapist (Stockard Channing) that she's seeing another man and Phil tells his indestructible a-hole of a best friend (Campbell Scott) that he's seeing another woman. Anna also spills her guts about her lifeless union to her high strung brother with Tourette 's syndrome (Rob Morrow). An inexplicably French private investigator (Peter Gallagher) gets involved, there's a scene in a night club with a punk rock band that has a bald, fat lead singer in a neck brace and a diaper, Mary McCormack does NOT get naked and the secret of Phil and Anna's adulterous relationships turns out to defy both explanation and understanding.

A lot of films have twists and I shy away from spoiling them in these reviews unless the movie is so gosh awful I feel it's necessary to remove any possible temptation to watch it. Other Voices is bewildering instead of bad, but I couldn't spoil the twist in this story even if I wanted to. That's because if I told you exactly what the twist was, you wouldn't believe me. I mean, I've seen a lot of nonsensical plot developments but this one pretty much takes the cake. The reveal of this secret is like mashing up South Park with The Empire Strikes Back and finding out that Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's hermaphrodite mother.

This movie isn't without redeeming qualities. Jason Campbell is fun to watch as Phil's unrelenting jerkwad of a best friend. He masterfully portrays the sort of foul-mouthed, douchebag that you can't imagine was ever anything but the joyfully horrible creature that he is right now. He's like Dan Fielding from Night Court after smoking a big bag of meth. People like that are unbearable in real life but are a lot of fun to watch from a distance in fiction. Rob Morrow also does a nice job as Anna's brother, making all of his involuntary starts and ticks seem like completely natural parts of the character. I also found Peter Gallagher doing a mediocre French accent pretty amusing for some reason.

That's about it for the positives. David Aaron Baker spends 90% of the film with the same pained expression on his face. Stockard Channing seems more like someone who needs therapy than an actress playing a therapist. There's an out-of-left-field Hitchcock homage. Gallagher spends an inordinate amount of screen time wearing the Gortex hat from that Seinfeld episode. And it appears as though an early draft of the screenplay had some sort of subplot involving a protest against urban redevelopment, but about 98% of it was apparently cut out of the final script.

Other Voices almost defies classification. What it reminds me of is watching a foreign film and getting lost in the different emotional tones and social references of an alien culture. Maybe this is an accurate picture of how people live in New York City. Maybe the whole thing is just an extended brain fart from writer/director Dan McCormack. I don't know which it is, only that you shouldn't waste your time on this film.

Very strange indeed.... but keeps you going till the end

[Lantrix · 3/10 · 30 August 2002]

Although I found the overall idea for this movie to be motivating enough to watch it to the end, the continuing twisting and turning of the plot throughout the movie lends you to a strange and bumpy ride. In my opinion the story line/plot just didn't cut it..

I'm not sure if the director intended for this to be a thriller, or a drama, or a "unfaithful" style movie.

Worth a one time watch when it pops its head up on a cable movie channel, then don't bother after that.

Overlooked Sundance gem

[deankeaton · 9/10 · 24 February 2003]

Can't understand why this didn't really get picked up after Sundance. Very good Hitchcockian story with solid acting, writing, etc. I'm surprised this doesn't have a cult following I'm aware of. Definitely recommended.

Pseudo-intellectual convolutions !!!

[gege-6 · 1/10 · 10 March 2005]

When will American writers/directors/producers stop imitating bad European movies ?!

When will Sundance stop encouraging this type of cinema poison, based on vague "smart" ideas and mediocre writing or pretentious movie-making ?!

This looks and sounds very much like a pseudo psycho-thriller of the French or Italian 80's "brainy" trends...

It falls flat on it's face,simply because the concept of this film is so cerebral, the dialogs so bad... that only a great writer could may be pull it off in a forgettable book, let alone shoot it as a movie !

it is obvious from the first 10 minutes that bored husband and wife are playing erotic/intellectual games... She is the mysterious mistress and he is her secret lover... BORING !!!

It's sweet and it's oh so funny

[dfgrayb · 8/10 · 6 March 2007]

You've got to watch it closely to appreciate the humor. It's quirky and off-beat. It's not funny in the way that a lot of movies are funny these days--because the actors use lots of quips. You think it's one type of movie, and then gradually become aware that it's something else, and that it's very nice. You end up liking a bunch of strange people who are just trying to make their ways in the world. And you end up enjoying a funny movie in the process.

The acting is superb, and the dialogue comes at you so fast sometimes that two viewings may be needed. The two main characters, a married couple, are worried about their marriage and are not sure what to do about it. Their lives are the main focus. But it is the people who share their angst that make the movie what it is--particularly Campbell Scott in his best role ever, Rob Morrow as a hyper energetic trader who does something for a living but isn't sure what, and Stockard Channing who, as one other reviewer said, is the psychiatrist from hell.

This one hits an all time low

[gfischer · 1/10 · 14 June 2003]

I've never encountered dialogue before where entire statements, indeed whole conversations, include the "F" word in every single sentence. The only possibly redeeming quality it has is that the sound is so bad you can't deciper a lot of it. For some peculiar reason I watched the whole thing to see if it could get any worse, and it did. If there was any point to any of it, I guess it was in some of the conversations I couldn't understand.

Campbell Scott is great.

[Captain Wolfsticks · 8/10 · 16 August 2001]

Campbell Scott, cast against type, is absolutely hilarious in this movie. Without him, the film itself is kind of average, but his performance is worth the price of admission alone. That is, if anyone would smarten up and buy and release this movie already!

Great film! Where has this been for 7 years

[nanmst7 · 10/10 · 10 June 2007]

I just caught this film on cable. I've never heard of it before. Had to view it 2 times because it blew me away! Unlike many films today, it really made you think; every little subplot wasn't explained like you're an idiot, it is riotously funny, great little thriller-plot. However, it's the sub-plots the keep you going. You have to see it twice, just to catch everything. Anyway, I just loved it. One of the most interesting movies I've seen in a while. I agree with some of the other comments: Why aren't I hearing more about this movie. I expected it to be of cult status by now. Oh yeah, did anyone catch the credits? They are almost as funny as the movie.

Great Film!!!

[ShannaForrestall · 9/10 · 23 June 2009]

This is a great film. Beautifully moving and a little disturbing because it makes us ask ourselves if our love relationships are real.

Some strong acting and fun scenes with a nice understated sense of humor.

I like the depth behind the madness. Talented director.

For a low budget film I was very impressed. Quality work by all involved. I would like to see more work from this writer/director.

I can see why he was nominated for an award. I hear that he may have another film coming out in 2010. I for one am looking forward to it.

I also especially enjoyed Campbell Scott in this film. Fun characters.

I Could Not Stop Laughing! I Love It to Pieces!

[OceanPagan · 10/10 · 1 February 2007]

This movie is a total romp. Campbell Scott is the man to watch. Try not to miss a word he says. I can easily imagine this thing becoming a cult film. We have already adopted several family slang phrases from stuff he said.

David Aaron Baker and Mary McCormack are gorgeous, and Rob Morrow as her brother is wildly over-the-top as a non-meds-compliant Tourette's Syndrome patient. Stockard Channing as the shrink from Hell just fell right in line with the rest of the madness instead of curing any.

Do yourself a favor and see this thing. I'll bet you'll thank me for the nudge.

Subtle mis-interpretations drive intriguing film

[hofnarr · 9/10 · 25 March 2000]

Currently (March 2000) on the festival circuit, director Dan McCormack hopes that OTHER VOICES will go into general (if limited) release around November, pending the conclusion of financial details. I enjoyed the film immensely - you're best off going into it cold, so if you have any "friends" or enemies who try to tell you anything about the plot - run away!

So - this limits me to little bits and pieces. I don't know what your response to Peter Gallagher (sex, lies and videotape; AMERICAN BEAUTY) as a Frenchman will be. There was a bit of tittering in the audience I was in at his first lines, but that settled down rather quickly.

Rob Morrow (Jeff) did an interesting turn as a financial trader of some kind (even his sister Anna doesn't seem to know exactly what it is he does). He has a mild form of Tourette's syndrome - the symptoms increase when he's under stress or (as Anna admonishes him) when he doesn't take his medication. It's obvious they care for each other, but they aren't always on the same wavelength/frequency . . . which is, to some extent, the whole premise of OTHER VOICES - the mis-interpretation, willful or not, of what other people are saying (in more than one arena) and the resulting chaos than can emerge.

This is the kind of film that, no matter how closely you pay attention to details, additional viewings will supply new perspectives . . . which may (or may not) converge - a good one to talk about after with others.

Someone needs to fire their agent

[crystalhilbert2 · 10/10 · 8 August 2004]

I found Other Voices a delightful brain twister/teaser. It had me thinking for hours after the movie was over, and going back again and again for another viewing. I'm surprised this movie is not more popular.

David Aaron Baker's performance was what really pulled the plot along. He made ever lie and every dramatic twist of the plot seem believable. Even when panicking through the subway he had a certain elegance.

Personally I think that David Aaron Baker needs to fire his agent, who ever that may be. He has wonderful potential that is being squandered in movies like Tao of Steve. This movie and Music Man have to be the only worth while movies I have ever seen him in. David Aaron Baker is a wonderful actor and even in badly cast roles his talent shines through.

The Best Movie Ever!

[amk2f · 10/10 · 1 February 2011]

I have seen this movie occasionally on a cable channel & immediately ordered a copy on DVD. I have to highlight, that "Other Voices" is a very deep movie with several layers of understanding enclosed in little details. The movie is not just "weird" or simply "funny", it's not only about marriage troubles & self-absorption and loneliness of people. It's also about the unnaturalness of the living environment in a huge megalopolis, the senselessness of corporate jobs, the inevitability of social collapse to mention a few. Every single character in the movie, and unfortunately this is a very realistic part of it, is a lonely, unhappy and emotionally crippled person. The whole atmosphere, the inner energy of the film is very pressing. I would say, "Other Voices" is even more of current interest than it was back in 2000. Though the film is very intriguing, easy to watch & at times absolutely hilarious - it is at the same time very sad. It demands digging deeper into things, paying attention to the dialogs and little details, which at times turn out to be very profound. Just like this very impressive part, when John (Campbell Scott) tries to get in the nightclub in order to grab some beer there and the bouncer tells him he's not on the list, to which John replies something like that he's got "Henry f***ing Kissinger waiting in the car. Are you telling me Kissinger is not on the list?" In the meantime the satanically looking band in the club is playing a rather creepy heavy metal song with the following refrain "Insect instead of Jesus". This scene is very important in the movie, which brings up the problems of meaningless corporatism, death of family, break down of social communications, street riots, etc.