WHITE NOISE (*½)
I believe that a movie’s worth does not depend on what its subject is, but how. Any topic can be made into a movie, no matter how ludicrous, controversial, or repulsive it might be. But how a film presents its subject matter usually (if not always) determines its worth. That said, a film on EVP (Electronic voice phenomena) could be somewhat intriguing (I’d like to see a documentary about it), but if WHITE NOISE is the best attempt EVP proponents can muster, it isn’t very encouraging.
The movie’s plot is a simple one. An architect by the name of Jonathan Rivers (Michael Keaton of BATMAN fame) slowly becomes obsessed by vague static messages coming through electronic devices in his home. These communiqués come from his dead wife Anna (Chandra West) shortly after her passing, and are brought into Jonathan’s knowledge by Raymond Price (played by veteran British actor Ian McNeice) and Sarah Tate (Deborah Kara Unger of CRASH). Both of his newfound friends try to help him figure out what Anna is trying to tell him, mostly with fatal results to those around him.
Movies involving contact with the dearly deceased have been done countless times before (see GHOST, DRAGONFLY, THE SIXTH SENSE, etc). What distinguishes the good ones from the average are their skill or style. Sad to say, the only thing that separates WHITE NOISE from its counterparts is the type of metaphysical communication being used (EVP). This isn’t enough unless it truly is the centerpiece of the film. It isn’t.
The movie really focuses on what supposedly scary beings exist outside of our physical plane that may be angered by the “meddling” of the uninitiated in EVP. But not once are we given insight on what these creatures are or what their intentions may be. Like a deus ex machina(see note below), this evil “trinity” exists apart from the movie’s own internal logic. They are simply introduced as “those that like to do damage”, which reminded me of the badly designated “those whom we do not speak of” in the disappointing THE VILLAGE. Take note directors, it may be a bad idea to entitle characters with self-descriptive labels.
The film’s look is fairly standard, though at times annoying with its gimmicky use of static transitional effects between and during scenes. There are no special effects that stand out, no memorable scenes, and no frightening creatures to behold (since we are denied their introduction or physical substance). The movie’s direction begins solidly for the first third of its running time, but then becomes muddled and eventually loses its way. It’s not surprising since they use the interesting concept of EVP, then slowly step away from it.
How could the movie sidestep the truly interesting subject matter its title advertises? EVP seems to have some substance behind it (check the invaluable resource wikipedia.com on this topic at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_voice_phenomena). If the movie had filled itself with more important information about it, I might have been swayed (it may have changed the film’s entire character, but that might have been a good thing). Yes we are introduced to it, but we are never shown how it comes about. The movie makes it appear to be easy as setting up some static channels on your TV or Radio with recording equipment, and voila! White noise!
But the absence of EVP’s crux didn’t really bother me. What I severely disliked was the movie’s cheap scares. Sudden sound blasts are not true suspense, but mere amateurish moments of unpleasantness (I hate them). The film is Geoffrey Sax’s first stab at directing a major film (though he has helmed numerous TV movies). So Mr. Sax for your benefit (and ours as well), I am now quoting from Sir Alfred Hitchcock the difference between suspense and surprise, something all film lovers should know (taken from http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/00/6/modernity.html).
"There is a distinct difference between 'suspense' and 'surprise', and yet many pictures continually confuse the two. I'll explain what I mean.
We are now having a very innocent little chat. Let us suppose that there is a bomb underneath this table between us. Nothing happens, and then all of a sudden, 'Boom!' There is an explosion. The public is surprised, but prior to this surprise, it has seen an absolutely ordinary scene, of no special consequence. Now, let us take a suspense situation. The bomb is underneath the table, and the public knows it, probably because they have seen the anarchist place it there. The public is aware that the bomb is going to explode at one o'clock and there is a clock in the décor. The public can see that it is a quarter to one. In these conditions this same innocuous conversation becomes fascinating because the public is participating in the scene.
The audience is longing to warn the characters on the screen: 'You shouldn't be talking about such trivial matters. There's a bomb underneath you and it's about to explode!'
In the first case we have given the public fifteen seconds of surprise at the moment of the explosion. In the second case we have provided them with fifteen minutes of suspense. The conclusion is that whenever possible the public must be informed. Except when the surprise is a twist, that is, when the unexpected ending is, in itself, the highlight of the story." – Sir Alfred Hitchock
So after listening to Sir Alfred say it best, I end this noting that WHITE NOISE is one big false advertisement. It doesn’t focus on EVP, but merely milks whatever interest EVP generates to pour into its all-to-familiar storyline (kind of like WINDTALKERS where we get Nicolas Cage’s problems instead of the actual insights into World War II Indians). For a superior experience, rent POLTERGEIST.
Note: For a wonderful explanation of what a "deus ex machina" is, check out Roger Ebert’s review of TWISTED at http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040227/REVIEWS/402270304/1023
Posted by FLIPCRITIC at January 20, 2005 12:48 PM