Opening 11 Aug 2011
Directed by:
Ola Simonsson
Writing credits:
Johannes Stjärne Nilsson, Jim Birmant, Ola Simonsson
Principal actors:
Bengt Nilsson, Sanna Persson, Magnus Börjeson, Marcus Boij, Fredrik Myhr
Amadeus Warnebring (Bengt Nilsson) is a policeman; tone-deaf, and a disappointment to his renowned musical family, he is older brother to Oscar (Sven Ahlström), wunderkind musician/composer and now wunder-conductor. Police work is safer. But when the city is besieged by music-terrorists, Amadeus is the only law enforcer to understand a major clue… a… tick...tick...tick... metronome! It leads him (while the bulk of the police force and city officials drag their feet) directly, more or less, to the six guerrilla percussionists.
Sanna (Sanna Persson) is ecstatically impressed with Magnus’ (Magnus Börjeson) concept; immediately they recruit “only the best,” albeit like-minded musicians, Anders (Anders Vestergard), Marcus (Marcus Boij), Myran (Fredrik Myhr) and Johannes (Johannes Björk). Magnus’s futuristic Symphony, “Music for One City and Six Drummers” has four movements; the group throw themselves wholeheartedly into rehearsing. Following the First Movement’s public performance, “Doctor, Doctor Gimme Gas (In My Ass),” Amadeus picks up a second clue: based on a fellow shopper’s advice, the birthday present he gave his brother was a disastrous dud – he will never forget her eyes, even hidden behind doctor scrubs. When a bank’s silent alarm goes off at the police station, there is nary a blink from Amadeus: Second Movement, “Money 4 U Honey.” By the Fourth Movement, “Electric Love,” the chase reaches a crescendo whereby Amadeus’s score delivers quiescence for the music-anarchists and himself.
Based on the short YouTube-hit film of directors Ola Simonsson and Johannes Stjärne Nilsson, who take story credit with Jim Birmant, Sound of Noise is laced with black humor and social-political overtures. The original music from Fred Avril, Magnus Börjeson, and Six Drummers is resonant, Charlotta Tengroth’s cinematography lively, and Stefan Sundlöf’s editing upbeat. The version I saw of this Swedish/Danish/French production was in German: never mind – the story is so well told visually and with straightforward dialogue, it is easy to follow, fun to watch and an audio delight. “This is a work of fiction, do not try this at home – electricity kills.” (Marinell Haegelin)
