Sound of Noise (2010)

A tone-deaf cop works to track down a group of guerilla percussionists whose anarchic public performances are terrorizing the city.

Directors:

Ola Simonsson, Johannes Stjärne Nilsson

Writers:

Ola Simonsson (screenplay), Johannes Stjärne Nilsson (screenplay)

Stars:

Bengt Braskered, Sanna Persson, Magnus Börjeson

8 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bengt Braskered	...	Amadeus Warnebring (as Bengt Nilsson)
Sanna Persson	...	Sanna (as Sanna Persson Halapi)
Magnus Börjeson	...	Magnus
Marcus Boij	...	Marcus (as Marcus Haraldson Boij)
Johannes Björk	...	Johannes
Fredrik Myhr	...	Myran
Anders Vestergard	...	Anders
Axel Bergendal	...	Amadeus as a Child
Nina Brundahl Warnolf	...	Mother as Young (as Nina Brunndahl Warnolf)
Martin Bergendal	...	Father as Young
Bilo Frenander	...	Grand-Father
Tage Persson	...	Oscar as a Child
Benjamin Peetre	...	Policeman with Radio
Lasse Svensson	...	Motorcycle Police
Paula McManus	...	Colette

Storyline

The narrative revolves around police officer Amadeus Warnebring, tone-deaf scion of a distinguished musical family, and his attempts to track down a group of six guerilla percussionists whose anarchic public performances are terrorizing the city. The drumming set pieces correspond to an avant-garde score with four hilariously titled movements. Where the short involved the six drummers imaginatively using standard apartment furnishings as their instruments, the feature unleashes them on an unspecified city's civic and cultural institutions. Including an amusing backstory for each of the soberly dressed drummers as well as their nemesis, music-hating investigator Warnebring, the film creates a treat for the eyes and ears from the dull, repetitive sounds of everyday life.

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Plot Keywords:

police officer | based on short film | drummer | drumming | excavator | 

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Taglines:

The first musical cop movie

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Music | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [Japan]

Country:

Sweden France

Language:

Swedish English

Release Date:

9 March 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Brzmienie halasu

Filming Locations:

Malmö Opera, Malmö, Skåne län, Sweden

Box Office

Budget:

EUR4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,877, 11 March 2012

Gross USA:

$24,565

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$241,072

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bliss, dfm Fiktion, Nordisk Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min 110 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the concert the main character's brother is conducting the 2nd movement Haydn's Symphony No 94, the Surprise. It features one loud note - a wake up note - to rouse the possibily sleeping audience, but also as a way of poking fun at the overly pretentious listeners. This fits exactly with one theme of this movie where they are poking fun at the pretentious nature of modern artists who believe everything they make is significant.

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Quotes

Sanna: This is a gig! Everybody keep calm! Move! We don't want to hurt anyone! We're only here for the music! You are our audience! Sit down, listen, and nobody will get hurt!

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Crazy Credits

This is a work of fiction. Don't try this at home - electricity kills!

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Connections

References Music for One Apartment and Six Drummers (2001)

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Soundtracks

Symphony No. 94 in G Major - Surprise
Written by Franz Joseph Haydn
Performed by The Malmö Opera Orchestra

User Reviews

Swedish madness!

Viewed at the Festival du Film, Cannes 2010

Now that you've read the plot summary... Okay, a group of drummers terrorise a city with their daring musical 'raids' while a tone deaf, music hating, detective tries to track them down... The Sound of Noise is the kind of dark comedic madness only the Scandinavians do so well: percussionists as musical terrorists laying down the beat for an entire city.

This is a conceit built around the musicians themselves, taking several of their set-piece numbers and weaving them into a narrative structure. In this sense, seen as a film with the classic three act structure, story and character development etc., Sound of Noise is less successful. But as a showcase for amazing musical ability and sheer imagination, this film cannot be beaten.