Advertisement

Hello World Communications
Hello World Communications - Tools & Services for the Imagination - HWC.TV

Film Festival Today

Founded by Jeremy Taylor

Sound of My Voice

Written by: Victoria Alexander | May 16th, 2012

 

Pretentious, self-serving vehicle glorifying Marling. If you can’t get hired, write yourself a role where you are worshipped. Make sure you are the only good looking woman in the film with plenty of golden light close-ups.

Uninteresting filmmaking couple Peter (Christopher Denham) and Lorna (Nicole Vicius) have stumbled on an enigma. There is someone who is claiming to be from the future –  2054. They decide to expose this person as a fraud using a hidden camera. The hilarity begins with the enforcement of S.P.E.C.T.R.E.-like rituals before coming into the presence of Maggie (Brit Marling).

I was hoping for David Bowie.

After making contact with the Maggie-underground, hopeful devotees must be vetted, blindfolded, washed, placed in hospital gowns and perform a wacky secret hand dance. Only then can you join the group waiting for the woman from the future to arrive in the basement room.

How do we know she is from the future? Because she says so! Isn’t that enough for you? Maggie, long flowing blond hair carefully styled, water-clear blue eyes, and an ethereal aura dripping from her fingertips, says really stupid hackneyed aphorisms.

Who wrote this crap? (I just breezed through the terribly-written FIFTY SHADES OF GREY. Every time Anastasia says or thinks anything, it begins with the words “oh crap”.  Someone should count how many times the word “crap” is used. And Christian Grey, a breathtakingly beautiful billionaire, keeps begging and pleading with her to be his submissive!)

Brit Marling co-wrote the screenplay with director Zal Batmanglij. Marling also co-wrote and starred in ANOTHER EARTH. Marling and Batmanglij nehave joined forces for THE EAST opening this year.

No one asks Maggie if FACEBOOK is around in 2054. Are we all Muslims in 2054? Why is Maggie here? To tell 6 people at a time that the world is going to end? Why not tell the world?

Marling has said: “I always started writing in order to act. Where’s the film with the women who are complicated and strong and beautiful and sexy and interesting and of all body types? You don’t get to see enough of them. So there’s something important in attempting to write them for myself and for the insanely talented women out there.”

Maggie may not be a profound cult leader with important information to disseminate, but she is “complicated and strong and beautiful and sexy and interesting” and model thin. Maggie is the only good-looking person in the cast.

When an actor or actress (a) writes their own starring role and/or (b) directs themselves, objectivity is lost. SOUND OF MY VOICE serves no one but Marling. Marling envisions herself as a double-threat talent, but she needs to be mentored by triple-threat Lena Dunham. We want to see real women, not an angelic caricature donning a halo.

Maggie is smug without portfolio. If Maggie has really come back to warn mankind, has she forgotten there are 7.014 billion of us? Maggie is going to need a much bigger basement for recruits. If I had met her, I would have advised her: Get a job and meet a nice guy.

Victoria Alexander is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association: www.bfca.org/ and the Las Vegas Film Critics Society: www.lvfcs.org/. Victoria’s weekly column, “The Devil’s Hammer,” is posted every Monday. http://www.fromthebalcony.com/editorials.php.

If you would like to be included on Victoria’s private distribution list for a weekly preview, just email her at masauu@aol.com. Victoria lives in Las Vegas, Nevada and answers every email. You can contact Victoria directly at masauu@aol.com.

 

 

 

 

Share

Member of Las Vegas Film Critics Society: www.lvfcs.org/. Victoria Alexander lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, and answers every email at victoria.alexander.lv@gmail.com. For a complete list of Victoria Alexander's movie reviews on Rotten Tomatoes go to: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/critic/victoria-alexander/movies. Victoria Alexander contributes to Films in Review (http://www.filmsinreview.com), Film Festival Today (http://filmfestivaltoday.com) and Las Vegas Informer (LVInformer.com).

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *