A man named Jonathan Rivers (Michael Keaton) says goodbye to his wife when she is out on a business trip and a message is left on his answering machine but then there's a cut out. He leaves a couple of messages on her cell phone but doesn't hear back from her.
Later on he finds out that she's been murdered. Suddenly his phone rings and his call display shows him her number and he hears static with her voice calling. His clock stops too and his stereo and other equipment goes on blaring with static and her voice.
He goes to the aid of a middle ages man who has been in contact with his dead son to try and make contact with his wife again through tapes and internet sounds. The man is murdered as well but Jonathan is getting messages of accidents and murders about to occur and goes there to try and save these victims.
The 'White Noise' of the title refers to a phenomenon known as EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena). Listen carefully, believers will tell you, and in amidst the white noise of a detuned radio you might hear voices...and in amidst the white noise of a detuned television, you might see faces. These, they'll tell you, are the voices and faces of the dead
The flick is a good scary one in which things seem to start off pretty well focusing on a family which seemed to look uplifting and then later on turns mysterious when there's the disappearance on the wife whom is Anna Rivers as well as good shots spotting a car near a rocky ocean as this for sure makes you cringe wondering what has happened to her.
There's a perfect mysterious moment when the lead character Jonathan Rivers spots that his clock on the wall has stopped ticking and he goes to check it out and things are still then a good camera shot on an alarm clock suddenly making some noise which is guaranteed to make you jump as this was perfectly well done.
Things also seem well mysterious when Jonathan spots a man named Raymond Price is watching him in two different scene's along with Jonathan confronting him on who he is and he explains to him about his dead wife sending him messages as a spirit which also looked strongly written in. Plus great camera shots circling around them as this moment looked impressive too.
There's nice moments when Jonathan goes to his home and is greeted by him and Sarah Tate in which the moments here seem to come across as perfectly eccentric like when they discuss the situations on talking to the dead as well as them showing him some TV screens and a VHS player too. Plus there's good camera shots during these situations too.
A good moment with Jonathan trying to focus on a fuzzy TV screen and spotting something inside it as well as him trying to look closer and then BANG something happens which is another terrific jumping moment here.
Plus a good moment when he goes to talk to Raymond but finds him lying dead on the floor which draws more great mysterious moments and having a deep dark feeling that more deadly terrors will occur later on. Nice camera shot looking down on his dead body.
Perfect dark shots on some telephone poles speaking as well as a shot on a car that crashes into it. Plus a good still moment with Jonathan looking into the car window and then another perfect jumping moment on what he suddenly spots in a window which looked perfectly intense as well as him trying to rescue a baby in time before an object on a pole starts to fall and crash on the vehicle which keeps you watching and wondering if he will rescue the baby in time before this all happens.
There;s a great setting at a funeral with the family man thanking
Jonathan as well as him turning his niceness to a harsh attitude while he tries to talk to him as this for sure looked believeably intimidating. A scene that was perfectly put in for sure.
Things looked very well focused between Jonathan and Sarah when they try to unravel things as this showed good strong concentration by what is happening here.
Also a perfect moment with Sarah standing near a ledge of a building and ready to fall as well as Jonathan trying to run and get her before it's too late which for sure looked pretty scary with the shots on all of this and how far down it is over the ledge too. This keeps you on the edge of your seat while watching all of this. You also wonder why this is happening to her as right away you get a feeling that an evil force is behind all of this.
There's a great moment when Jonathan goes to a dark type of building area that was sent from his wife to go there on a TV screen in which this looked perfectly dark and spooky and neat effects on what will unravel here as this is the best moment used in the film along with him struggling against evil forces as well as a man having someone tied up in which this looked perfectly suspenseful wondering what will all become of this. Lots of great fast paced action here.
Bottom line is that this is an excellent film with lots of good shocks and effects. You'll be guaranteed to be startled out of your seats. Very similar to the film Final Destination and just as spooky. I haven't seen a good horror flick in a long time such as this one and I think something like this will smarten up Hollywood instead of making so many bloody remakes.
The acting was terrifically well done as Michael Keaton (Jonathan Rivers) really brought alot out into what he had to do here. He does well with his uplifting type of attitude during the first bit of the story here which looked very life like. Also does a nice job when he shows an aggressive behavior when talking to someone which shows a nice excitement here and really draws to the point here too. He's impressive while showing a frusterated attitude while talking to a screen and really getting into all of this here. Was believeable while really getting into a discussion too showing a perfect seriousness towards all of this. Does a nice job with his energetic behavior when he is struggling against the terror that unravels him and making his performance worthwhile here big time.
Deborah Kara Unger (Sarah Tate) seems to come across in an okay fashion as someone who is mellow and calm with her role and coming across as someone a bit eccentric but not overly. Does well while acting serious about certain situations with the dead and getting into this a nice deal. Plus does a good job acting expressionless like she's in a trance which comes across perfect here. Also does a nice job while speaking strangely while in a hospital bed and acting believeably out of it too. She for sure shows a great mysterious type of character into her role here.
Ian McNeice (Raymond Price) shows a perfect type of eagerness to his role as well as having the right burly looks for the part too. Does well with his energy while trying to get a point across during a situation about how he communicates with the dead which certainly came across natural. He also shows a good calmness to greeting someone in his home in another part of the scene as well as discussing situtation as to what he does to communicate with the dead which showed perfect concentration here. He was a good character actor without a doubt.
Sarah Strange (Jane) doesn't have a huge role in the film but thought I'd mention her as she seemed to make her part pretty memorable here. She does a good job with her hyped up and emotional attitude when discussing on her loved one's who have passed away in which this looked very good as well as doing a good job by acting a little anxious later on in other situations too. She was a good character actress and deserved a good pat on the back here.
The music is very clear which is a good thing having some echoey piano tapping as well as good hissing sounds along with screeching noises and metal scraping too. Of course great banging sounds as this all blends in superbly for the scary and jumping moments. There's sad violin orchestral music for the sad parts of the film which is another nice plus to the soundtrack here all nicely put together by Claude Foisy.
There's a nice songtrack during the closing credits which is called "Somewhere Out There" by the band Our Lady Peace in which we hear a low vocalising and then getting it to a high toned pace as well as mellow guitar playing and then getting a little heavier in which it suits the closing credits for the year it was made. The song is full of energy indeed.
Jonathan Rivers: You were outside my house and now you're outside my office, so do me a favor, don't insult my intelligence by telling me it's some sort of coincidence.
Jonathan Rivers: Do I know you?
Raymond Price: My name is Raymond Price.
Jonathan Rivers: Are you following me?
Raymond Price: It's about your wife, Mr. Rivers. I've been receiving messages from her from the other side.
Jonathan Rivers: From what other side?
Raymond Price: Jonathan, your wife is dead.
Susie Tomlinson: It's almost like she didn't die. Two days ago I get a call from my father, and then you show up?
Jonathan Rivers: I don't understand. I've been getting messages from your grandmother for a week now.
Susie Tomlinson: No, that's not possible, she just passed away two days ago.
Frank Black - Young Father: [to Jonathan] I am grateful for what you did, Mr. Rivers, my son wouldn't be here if it weren't for you, but now I'd like you to leave us alone. |
