Great World of Sound (2007)I've suddenly grown tired of Indie films like this. And there are a lot of them. So this is a bad vibes review. Sorry.Here's what I mean. There is a clever plot here, as usual, and some great low key acting, and the most drab and functional photography and editing. That's understandable (if not forgivable--good photography is free, but that's another story). But what's with the awkward nerdy reclusive oddball main characters. They're lovable, and I suppose they are meant to be a counterpart to the glitz of Hollywood's stars. But they are starting to imitate themselves. That is, I think Indie producers and directors and eventually actors are playing, on purpose, Indie parts, with an Indie style. It's lovable, but it's worn thin.So here we are, with a cute and slightly clever plot about the well known scam of small time record companies (quote unquote) who suck the millions of aspiring musicians into spending money on CDs that will never get airplay. I've seen it happen to a few people, over time, and there have even been dangles of fame, a has been musician wandering through the studio at the same time, that kind of thing. Who doesn't have a thousand dollars once in a lifetime for a dream that might not come true? Why not die knowing you wasted a little money for that good intention?And so these two very nice, somewhat naive men fall into the racket. They are victims themselves, and they create a trail of victims behind them. It's really charming and warm and maddening in all the right proportions. It's a pretty good story.But it's very mediocre, too, on purpose. It doesn't strive for greatness in the old sense of the "art of the cinema," as Hitchcock would say. This is about modest means, but also modest goals. And so the goals get met, and we have a modest movie. Enjoyable, yes. Amazing, no. Not even a little.And for me, I'd rather have a failed attempt at amazing than a successful stab at pretty darned good. Go ahead, have some fun watching it, and forgive me.

This movie is disarmingly good. I first saw it at the Atlanta Film Festival (where it won top honors) and got to participate in a Q&A with the director and one of the producers. He said some of the music performers in the movie answered an actual ad promising record label auditions. Some of them are also legitimate talents who knew they were acting in a movie. Also, his father actually was a "song shark" in the 70s for a bogus company like Great World of Sound. Also, the two leads are amazing. I'm officially watching anything with Pat Healy in it (Just caught In Memory of My Father and loved every minute of it). I'm unsure as to why this didn't take off like Little Miss Sunshine and Napolean Dynamite. I know it premiered at Sundance and got bought. It even has a strong musical element and I feel like Once was a big sensation that year as well. Very puzzling.Regardless, this one outlives the hype --- definitely a must see.

This flick was an all around great film. It was a moving story that definitely gets you thinking and implants morals. The actors in this film really make you feel along with them. I watched this movie 3 days ago and I am still thinking about it. That's the test of a great movie, it gets you thinking and keeps you thinking.I plan to recommend this to my family and friends, as well as obviously anyone looking to rent it. I was very impressed with everything about this film, I would love to see more like it!! The thirst for a dream comes at a price, but where do you draw the line? Do you fulfill you dream while crushing others?

I wonder who is orchestrating the campaign to discredit this movie by voting in a block against it. I suspect that many of those 43 people voting a 2 have never seen it, and are simply responding to a viral effort to kill the film. But I cannot figure out what the puppeteers found objectionable with this movie.The film itself has the feel of a low intensity Glengarry Glen Ross, without the claustrophobia or the cursing. With the passion and eagerness of aspiring musicians as a backdrop, this is really a story of the salesmen who allow themselves to be duped into believing that they are actually helping others.Great World of Sound features some nice performances by the leads: Pat Healy as the reticent Martin and Carver Johns as his loquacious and exuberant partner Walter. All in all there is some ethical subtlety here. But that might be hard to detect if you've been a victim of a similar scam.