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List Price: $9.98 | | Label: Starz / Anchor Bay
Salesrank: 62669
Released: September 16, 2008 |
| Our Price: $1.88 |
| Used Price: $1.49 |
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MPAA Rating: Unrated
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Academy Award® winner Tim Robbins stars as David Owen, a Manhattan husband and father so unhinged by the noise outside his window that he declares a one-man war on car alarms. But when David goes over the edge and becomes a citywide noise-vigilante known as 'The Rectifier', he incurs the wrath of New York’s sleazy blowhard Mayor (a hilarious performance by Oscar® winner William Hurt) who vows to stop him. How much damage will one guy inflict for a little peace and quiet? Bridget Moynahan (I, ROBOT) and William Baldwin (Dirty Sexy Money) co-star in this wickedly funny black comedy from award-winning writer/director Henry Bean (The Believer) that The New Yorker hails as "a splendidly eccentric film alive with the creative madness of New York City!"
Description of Noise:
Of all the noxious aspects to modern life, the one that people seem to most passively put up with is noise pollution--random car alarms, horns, sirens, screeching machinery and the like. Perhaps because there's no single "bad guy" behind the creeping situation, there've been few movements against it. Which leaves the perfect opening for Noise, Henry Bean's allegory about a one-man vigilante for peace and quiet, played with torment and depth by the always-dependable Tim Robbins. Robbins plays David, a devoted husband and father who becomes so distressed--then obsessed--by the noise in his adopted home of Manhattan that he snaps (quietly, of course). The film channels Falling Down, but also has elements of Batman and other superhero dramas, as David takes on the persona of The Rectifier--breaking into cars whose alarms go off incessantly and dismantling the alarms. His obsession takes deeper and more dangerous turns, and he becomes both public enemy No. 1 (in the eyes of the city's unctuous mayor, played splendidly by William Hurt, who calls him "nothing but a two-bit vigilante") and a hero to the everyjoes as rattled by the needless racket as David is. Bean's storytelling is also creative, playing with time and chronology, as David's focus shifts and darkens. One wonders periodically why David doesn't take up the suggestion of his wife (Bridget Moynahan) to move to the leafy suburbs, or even back to the Midwest. But no matter: The Rectifier is on a mission. "I used to think there's nothing you could do about the noise," David muses at one point. "But once you get started, it's easy. It's stopping that's hard." The disc includes a fascinating commentary by writer-director Bean, who based the character of David on himself, years earlier when he broke into cars to turn off their alarms, even serving jail time for the offenses. --A.T. Hurley
Noise Reviews:
Ever have something that get on your nerves? 
2009-08-01 - I can imagine being in his shoes but I don't think I would go so far. After all the movie is fiction. I don't remember it being advertised when the movie came out. But I found it on a On Demand service one day and enjoyed it so much I bought the DVD.
Gary Hoyt
2009-06-24 - I'd like to see more movies like this.
There are now over 7 billion people on earth, 4 billion in 1972. Meaning allot more natural noise.
The "IDIOTS" that make the unnecessary noise pollution with modified exhaust systems aren't "cool" they are the scourge of society.
wont be shown in school civics class...
2009-06-03 - This movie is to cool to write a synopsis for, if you can't stand the system and believe that change can only come from outside of it, watch this. Alright then, the acting, directing, and writing were all of professional quality. Look out for the "ugly vagina" scene which makes this a no-no for the kiddies.
Delightful and original 
2009-04-23 - Noise is an fantastic deviation from the norm that sadly did not make enough of a splash when it was released, which was only 2 years ago I was amazed to find out. Robbins plays alawyer that is constantly annoyed with the noise of living in New York city. Added on top of the stresses of his home life and work, Robbins begins to take the fight to the source, becoming a high profile vandal known as the Rectefier. His attacks on his foe draw the ire of the mayor of New York City, and the battle between them for Robbins sanity follows a variety of interesting turns.
Robbins acting in this is top notch, supported by several smaller names, most of whom held their weight, but was nearly poisoned by a few parts that felt overblown and outrageous.
There are quite a few scenes that feel drastically out of place, and Robbins tailspin marriage and separated affair feels a bit overdone, almost to the point of softcore pornography. But aside from this weird turn, the movie was hysterical, with several scenes worth watching repeatedly, and an ending message that's uplifting and empowering, that the little guy can still slay the giant.
Noise Pollution!
2009-03-28 - I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie. While I don't share Tim Robbins or his wife's political views, I have also enjoyed Tim Robbins the actor. He has a very natural, easy way about him. The supporting cast are also very good.
The subject of noise pollution is near and dear to my heart. I'm extremely sensitive to external noises, whether it be an annoying car alarm, a neighbors annoying dog barking, idiots driving by with a 1,000 watts of stereo system in their car (and wanting everyone to know it), annoyingly loud garbage trucks (touched on in the movie) etc. We seem to live in a world that is increasingly self-centered, where people only care about their own needs. Rudeness abounds. I guess as our cities become more and more populated increasing noise pollution is the expected result, but it's disturbing how many of the noise polluters truly don't care about the fact they are bothering someone else. Our cities have gotten noisier and ruder and this film tackles those issues head on. I found it to be refreshingly original, funny, well written, and well acted.
One star was deducted for a scene involving two women spreading their legs for each other and admiring how "pretty" and how "ugly" their respective vagina's look. One of the women then goes on to complain about how bad it makes her feel to have an ugly looking vagina. Really, the whole scene should have been cut, it was pointless, vulgar, and very distasteful.
Still, I highly recommend this movie just for it's sheer originality. Such a simple concept, man goes vigilante after being fed up with loud, obnoxious car alarms. A really neat movie evolved from that simple idea, and while there is very little creativity in Hollyweird these days, the independents can still be counted on for that.
