Product Details

• Actors: Tim Robbins, William Baldwin, William Hurt, Bridget Moynahan, Keir O'Donnell
• Directors: Henry Bean
• Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
• DVD Release Date: September 16, 2008
• Run Time: 88 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001AYWY9K
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,311 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Noise" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Of all the noxious aspects to modern life, the one that people seem to most passively put up with is noise pollution--random car alarms, horns, sirens, screeching machinery and the like. Perhaps because there's no single "bad guy" behind the creeping situation, there've been few movements against it. Which leaves the perfect opening for Noise, Henry Bean's allegory about a one-man vigilante for peace and quiet, played with torment and depth by the always-dependable Tim Robbins. Robbins plays David, a devoted husband and father who becomes so distressed--then obsessed--by the noise in his adopted home of Manhattan that he snaps (quietly, of course). The film channels Falling Down, but also has elements of Batman and other superhero dramas, as David takes on the persona of The Rectifier--breaking into cars whose alarms go off incessantly and dismantling the alarms. His obsession takes deeper and more dangerous turns, and he becomes both public enemy No. 1 (in the eyes of the city's unctuous mayor, played splendidly by William Hurt, who calls him "nothing but a two-bit vigilante") and a hero to the everyjoes as rattled by the needless racket as David is. Bean's storytelling is also creative, playing with time and chronology, as David's focus shifts and darkens. One wonders periodically why David doesn't take up the suggestion of his wife (Bridget Moynahan) to move to the leafy suburbs, or even back to the Midwest. But no matter: The Rectifier is on a mission. "I used to think there's nothing you could do about the noise," David muses at one point. "But once you get started, it's easy. It's stopping that's hard." The disc includes a fascinating commentary by writer-director Bean, who based the character of David on himself, years earlier when he broke into cars to turn off their alarms, even serving jail time for the offenses. --A.T. Hurley

Product Description

Academy Award® winner Tim Robbins stars as David Owen, a Manhattan husband and father so unhinged by the noise outside his window that he declares a one-man war on car alarms. But when David goes over the edge and becomes a citywide noise-vigilante known as 'The Rectifier', he incurs the wrath of New York’s sleazy blowhard Mayor (a hilarious performance by Oscar® winner William Hurt) who vows to stop him. How much damage will one guy inflict for a little peace and quiet? Bridget Moynahan (I, ROBOT) and William Baldwin (Dirty Sexy Money) co-star in this wickedly funny black comedy from award-winning writer/director Henry Bean (The Believer) that The New Yorker hails as "a splendidly eccentric film alive with the creative madness of New York City!"

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A quiet riot, sort of February 26, 2009

By A. Dent #1 HALL OF FAMETOP 10 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

Life is a loud, noisy Hell, isn't it? Hmmmm... correction, life in New York City is a loud, noisy Hell? How do I know it? Well... I happen to be in New York City as I am writing this and, from my 15th floor hotel suite I can hear the loud police and ambulance sirens, the garbage trucks, the horns, the occasional helicopter and, louder than them all was Noise, the movie which I just watched.

The cast:
- Tim Robbins: the superhero, the Rectifier. Not quite getting Hegel, because he's constantly disturbed by car alarms. Tim does everything within and without the law to get things quieter and car alarms banned.
- William Baldwin: the mayor's... something. It's not clear why he's in this movie but he's another name added to a rather prestigious cast.
- William Hurt: the mayor himself. He seems to be 'pro noise' but we don't know why because he plays a rather small part too.
- Bridget Moynahan: Tim's semi-Russian not-girlfriend, about to leave for London to study philosophy. She has a pretty good understanding of Hegelian dialectics.
- many others: Tim's wife, his kid daughter, judges, cops, New Yorkers

The main message seems to be that we should be mad as Hell (see above) and that we shouldn't take it any more but we don't because we're like sheep or cattle strolling into the slaughter house and little can be done to fix things except maybe getting a court order (clever). And, of course, the movie is supposed to be funny. There are secondary themes and digressions but the movie should be seen so I won't be going into any more details.

In the end, after 90 minutes of constant anti-noise pleas and loud demonstrations I could not help but ask myself 'why?'. The movie does have its funny moments and noise pollution in New York is real but, somehow, I was left with the impression that someone really, really wanted to throw a lot of talent into a semi-low budget movie discussing an issue that was socially-responsible but not too controversial so... how about 'noise'?

After a lot of thinking following my watching 'Noise', I now agree that noise, especially noise produced by car alarms is annoying. I also agree that we, New Yorkers, should never again behave like sheep and we should do something about loud car alarms. But... wait. I am NOT a New Yorker. In fact, I'll be leaving New York tomorrow. However, if anyone wants me to sign some anti-noise petition... I'll think about it.

Final thoughts: Tim Robbins is a good actor and Bridget Moynahan is a fresh face. They both performed well. Noise is okay to watch on a movie channel or as a rental if nothing else worth watching is available. On the other hand, I doubt that Tim Robbins, William Hurt or William Baldwin would consider 'Noise' as a significant achievement in their careers. Three stars as in 'okay but...' seems to be fair.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Tim Robbins at his best December 29, 2008

By Reader

Format:DVD

Tim Robbins plays well to do NYC attorney married to a beautiful wife who is a classical musician. Their daughter is a product of their mutual and genuine love for each other and everything seems fine until one day during his wife's home rehearsal of the cello piece her husband gets annoyed by a car alarm. It does not stop there. Suddenly car alarms are everywhere waking up his young daughter in the late hours of the night, disturbing lovemaking between him and his wife. It all escalates when one day our hero is caught by a police breaking into a car in order to shut off the car alarm by disabling the car battery. His life seems to spiral from there on; first, he is fined for damage, then he is kicked out of the house by his wife and finally he looses his job. Without family, job and in the new apartment, all that is left is to fight noises in the NYC. Our hero becoimes known as a "Rectifier" (very funny!), man who takes on single handedly car alarms in the city, until the mayor decides that this battle is personal. William Hurt is fantastic in his role of a mayor who is more concerned about being liked by his constituents than doing the right thing. I loved the part of the movie where Robins vandalizes car in a manner of their alarm tune - each swing corresponds to the tune of the alarm. Robbins is funny, sexy adn totaly likable in his role. Definitely another one of the movies where Robbins is making his statement, but this is quite funny and deeply human movie. It is almost impossible not to identify parts of any one of us with his character. Great movie.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars How Could You Not Like This? September 16, 2008

By CB

Format:DVD

I feel like I watched a diff movie than the first reviewer, cos I really loved this movie. I liked the grittiness and realism it displayed. And even without that, how could anyone NOT enjoy a movie starring Tim Robbins, William Hurt and the gorgeous & talented Bridget Moynahan? How many of us have gritted our teeth and at times felt like throwing a chair through the window when the noise outside gets so loud and persistent you feel like you're losing it? This movie is not unlike the Michael Douglas vehicle, Falling Down, where he went slowly nuts and took it out on bullies and bad guys. I watched this movie at a private screening when it was first released and I jumped at the chance to own a copy for my private library. Highly recommend this movie.